Darkness' Light
by Der Drache der Himmel
Summary: When the Digidestined were in Odaiba, before they found the eighth Digidestined, there was already someone else . . .
1. A Light in the Darkness

A Light in the Darkness  
I  
A cold night filled with glittering stars hovered over earth, inhabited by an un-seasonal creeping fog, among other things. In one city over which it stood, two forces-good and evil-made their momentary homes there. The leaders of them were both lost in thought, which consisted of seemingly unanswerable questions and musings about the possible future. But one was of the night, of the dark, the other of day. Yet, at this time, they were alike in their thoughts.   
  
Tai paced restlessly in his room, his head filled with wondering over many things, including their enemy, Myotismon. Last time they had attacked, they would have been defeated if it weren't for Angelmon. Lucky for them, Myotismon had decided not to risk it against T.K.'s Digimon, and fled back to wherever it was he came from. They had faced powerful Digimon before, Devimon and Etemon among others, but Myotismon was the most powerful-and evil-by far.   
  
He sighed, and looked towards his bed, where Agumon was sleeping under a pile of dirty clothes. That way, nobody could tell he was there. He was softly snoring, and occasionally turned over in dream-filled slumber.   
  
Shaking his head, Tai muttered, "I wonder what Myotismon is doing right now."  
***  
As was his opponent, Myotismon was pacing up and down, when finally he stopped. It was night. Why wouldn't he go out? After all, the night was his place, his home . . .   
  
If it weren't for those Digidestined brats, he would have found the eighth child by now. Then he could return to the Digiworld. But no, his incompetent servants had not found him yet, although he was closer to finding him then the Digidestined. Even though that was true, as Gatomon said, "You can't turn over a rock in this place without finding a child." There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, living in that city alone.  
  
Momentarily forgetting his search, a cruel, fanged smile played across Myotismon's face. For now, he would look on his own, since it was dark outside. And, since he was a vampire, the dark was where he thrived-therefor, it was to him as day was to humans.   
  
The smile still there, Myotismon strode to face the outside world.   
***  
Meanwhile, at Izzy's house . . .   
  
Izzy was busily working on his computer, carefully avoiding the messed-up screen savers that Gennai had installed. After all, Numemon doing the can-can isn't exactly a pretty sight.   
  
Nearby, Tentomon was eating some snacks which Izzy had brought in from the kitchen. I wonder what he's thinking, Tentomon thought. He himself, for unknown reasons, had digivolving on his mind.   
  
Izzy was working with his Digimon analyzer. As he flipped through various Digimon he had seen, he suddenly came to a stop on one, which he had never seen-or heard of-before. How did this get in here? He asked himself. I've never seen this one before!  
  
The Digimon he was referring to was called Trumhaemon. It looked like a huge, black-blue dragon, with four blood red eyes and a whip-like tail ended by a gleaming scythe blade. Growing between its shoulders were two sets of dark red wings, all tipped at the joint by curved talons.   
  
"That is the most evil-looking thing I have ever seen, except for Myotismon," Izzy said, to himself.   
  
"What is?" Tentomon asked, having heard some of the phrase. He flew to Izzy, and looked over his shoulder. He was not at all prepared for the sight of Trumhaemon.   
  
"Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Izzy, what is that?"   
  
"I don't know," Izzy answered, staring blankly at the screen. "I do not know."   
***  
  
The next day, Sora and Mimi were searching for the eighth child, although, if you saw them, you couldn't tell they were looking for anything.   
  
Palmon and Biyomon were both in a very heavy baby carriage, occasionally fighting over space. It was cramped in there, to say the least.   
  
They stopped with Mimi when she gazed longingly through a candy store window. "Some candy would be nice right about now," she said, face almost pressed against the glass. "I agree," said Palmon, who was instantly shushed by Biyomon. "You're supposed to be a baby," she whispered. "Don't talk!"   
  
A piece of paper drifted by, blown by the unusually warm breeze that was becoming common. Along with the fog, the heat wave was odd weather. But it wasn't the breeze that caught Sora's attention, instead, it was something she saw written on the paper . . .  
  
She bent over to pick it up, and tapped the preoccupied Mimi on the shoulder as she read it. "Look at this," she said. Mimi turned around.   
  
It looked like a journal entry, written on a piece of notebook paper. How it had gotten away from its owner, they didn't know; all they knew was that the writing on it was not at all normal.  
  
Written in bright red ink, it said:   
  
"7 August, 12 midnight: He came again. He just left about five minutes ago. This time, though, I got his real name: Lord Myotismon. At least, that's what he said it was. I myself prefer to call him Triinsahmur, which means 'vampire' in my language. After all, he is one . . . I know this because I asked him. Why he answered, I do not know; if I were like him, I wouldn't tell anyone. 'How do you survive?' I asked him. He had noticed that I sometimes stared at his fangs, though not exactly in fright. 'By preying on the blood of others,' he had answered. Yet, I wasn't at all shocked by his reply . . .   
  
Now, he is gone. I have the feeling that he might come back, some time. But certainly not during the day. As a matter of fact, he only comes when I have my door locked, window unlocked, and light turned off . . ."   
  
There, it ended. But for Sora it did not.   
  
Flipping it over, so that the back was facing up, was the name of the author: "Ymparshthu" Ono.   
  
"We have got to show this to Tai," Sora said to Mimi, who nodded her head. "I agree."   
***  
Emily, (called Ymparshthu,) the author, was sitting on her bed, contemplating too many things to name. Among others, she wondered where her diary page had gotten off to; she had ripped it out of her journal to hide it, but it had been blown out her open window by an unusually warm breeze. She would not forget Triinsahmur, though. He was too amazing.   
  
Sighing, she shut her window. She could just turn on her ceiling fan if she got hot. The warm breeze outside did nothing to her room but heat it up.  
  
As she sat back on her bed, she pulled put her journal and started to write something down in her alphabet; and she continued writing until sunset.   
***  
  
"WHAT?" practically yelled Tai into the phone. "WHAT did you find?"   
  
He was talking to Sora, who had called him about ten minutes ago. And, during that time period, she explained what she and Mimi had found-not the eighth Digidestined, but a clue to Myotismon.   
  
"I said, a weird journal entry that mentions Myotismon, though he's called 'Lord' Myotismon," Sora urgently said. "You need to come, quick! Meet me at Izzy's house; I've called everyone else up, and we're all going there! Hurry!"  
  
With that, she hung up. Tai was left standing there, caught in mid-sentence. Then, gathering his wits, he went to ask his mom if he could go over to Izzy's house.   
***  
Everyone arrived at Izzy's house at exactly sunset. Each had their Digimon with them, of course.   
  
"This is what Mimi and I found," said Sora, holding up the piece of paper. "It's some journal entry, and it mentions Myotismon."   
  
Walking over, Tai said, "Let me get a good look at it." Sora handed it to him, and a puzzled expression spread over his face as he read it.   
  
"But . . . the only time we've heard him been called 'Lord' Myotismon was when Birdramon digivolved to Garudamon, and the only . . . thing that called him that was Demidevimon!" he exclaimed. Almost instantly, thirteen other voices shushed him. Then, Agumon said, "I know. But, Tai, do you think you could be a little quieter? We don't know if there's anybody listening."   
  
"You're right." Tai sighed. "It's just . . . we finally have a little bit of a clue, and why not try to use it?"   
  
At this, everyone nodded their heads.   
  
Just then, there was a semi-loud knocking on Izzy's door.   
  
"Izzy, is everything okay in there?" asked his mom.   
  
"Uh, yeah," stuttered Izzy. Then, he remembered something.   
  
His mother replied, "Okay. I was just checking in on you." She then walked off.   
  
As soon as the sound of her footsteps had faded out of hearing, Izzy told them about his discovery the previous night.   
  
Starting up his computer, he began to explain what he had seen on his Digimon analyzer.   
  
"Tai, can I see your Digivice?" he asked, holding out his hand. "Sure," answered Tai, and handed it to him.   
  
"Okay, last night, as I was looking at my Digimon analyzer, I found this strange dragon called Trumhaemon. But, the thing is, we've never seen him before!" said Izzy. Tentomon nodded his head.   
  
When he had flipped to it, Izzy said, "This is it." His hand was outstretched towards the computer screen.   
  
There it was, with the same evil look as the night before. And, although they couldn't see it, there was something else added to it, at the bottom right corner-the words "Triinsahmur tunscharta"-Vampire servant.   
  
They kept looking at it, almost amazed by its evil expression-a snarl baring four large, dagger-like teeth was on its lips, and its scythe-like tail blade gleamed with its own light. The blood red eyes appeared to be staring right at you, giving you whatever it had for the Evil Eye. But, still, no one noticed the red words of the same hue as Trumhaemon's eyes. And, if they had, no one would have understood them, anyway-it was in Emily Ono's secret language.   
  
"Boy, and I thought I'd seen ugly things before," muttered Tai. "But this takes the cake!"   
  
Hearing him, Gaubumon looked up from the monitor. "Did you just say something about that thing being ugly?" he asked, in his airy, Oriental voice. He, too, thought it somewhat unpleasant-looking, as did everyone else, even though they didn't admit it.   
  
"Well, I've told you everything I needed to," sighed Sora. "If anybody else needs to say anything, now is the time." Silence. "Are you sure?" Silence. "Okay, everybody. 'Meeting adj-'"   
  
"I've got something I have to say," said T.K., stepping forward. Sora hit her palm against her forehead. "Okay, go for it," she said.   
  
"Well, last night, on the news, it said something about people getting an-ane-"  
  
"Anemia," finished Matt. "It said that 'otherwise healthy young women were being struck down with sudden and severe anemia.' What do you think it means, Tai? I have a few ideas myself."   
  
"Myotismon," said Tai. Matt nodded his head.   
  
"I think it could be Myotismon. It would explain a lot of things," Matt said. "For instance, that could be why we've never seen him during the day."   
  
The others weighed this in their minds, and soon came to the conclusion that Matt had been implying.   
  
"Oh, goodness, don't even make me think about it. It gives me the creeps!" Mimi said, shuddering. "But I'll have to admit-it's probably true."  
  
Looking out the window, at the stars, Joe said, "He's a vampire."   
***  
In Ymparshthu's room, she was sitting on her bed, writing in her diary again, yet again in bright red ink. Her entry read:   
  
"7 August, 9:10: I am waiting for Triinsahmur. He might come, he might not. I don't know . . .   
  
I remember when I first met him. I was walking home from Jo's house, at about sunset, because she only lives a block away. The sun was rapidly setting, and it soon was dark. Very dark. Pitch black, almost, because of the fog. Then, I saw him.   
  
To me, he was but a shadowy figure, shrouded in mist. All I could see was a silhouette. I turned to run, but . . . Something held me there. Something I couldn't quite place, can't quite name. But, I stayed, and in doing so changed my life.   
  
When I got closer, I saw that he had deep blue eyes, somehow soothing to me. I'm usually in a far from soothed mood, but there was something in his eyes that comforted me. I don't know how, or what. But, they were like a light in the darkness to me, drawing me to him.   
  
I looked up at him, since he was about a foot taller than me, with amazed eyes. Who was he? I did not know.   
  
Now I do."  
  
She shut her diary, and looked out the window. The stars were shining brightly. A sliver of a moon was out. And so was the creeping fog . . .   
  
Just then, Ymparshthu heard a sound, coming from below her window. When she looked down, to see what it was, she found . . . Triinsahmur.   
***  
That morning, as Tai sleepily stumbled out of bed, he heard his mother talking on the phone.   
  
"Is he up? I'll go see, Sora," she said. His mom then started walking towards his room. When she saw him, she said into the phone, "Yes, he's awake. Here he is now." So saying, she handed him the phone.   
  
"Hello?" Tai almost snored.   
  
"Tai, I have something really important to tell you," Sora, on the other end of the line, said. That woke Tai up.   
  
"What?" he asked. She had his attention now.   
  
"Come over to my house, and I'll tell you. I've got everybody else here, just like last night. Be quick! Bye!" Sora said, and hung up the phone. Tai just stood there, half awake, before running back to his room, pulling on some clothes, and going-all without breakfast.   
***  
At Sora's house, everybody was waiting for him. When he finally got there, Sora   
went straight to the meeting's point.  
"Last night, I was walking home from playing soccer against one of my old friends, when I came to a really dark stretch of the way home. Normally, it's lighter. But it was almost pitch black," Sora said.   
"Anyway, I was about half way through it when I heard a sound behind me. When I turned around, I saw . . ."   
She paused, as though thinking it over.   
"I saw Myotismon."  
  
A Light in the Darkness  
  
II  
  
Sora's words echoed in the silence that followed. Nobody could seem to take them in. But, after about five minutes, she continued.  
  
"Since I didn't have Biyomon with me," she looked down at her Digimon, "I didn't know what to do. I wanted to turn, and run, but I just couldn't seem to."   
  
The only sound in between statements was breathing. Other than that, there was total and complete silence.   
  
"Looking up at him, a strange thought came into my mind: he wasn't going to hurt me. When I finally ran, he didn't even try to catch me, just stood there."   
  
She stopped, having told her tale. The others looked at one another, when Tai finally stepped forward.   
  
"Okay, that was weird. Why didn't he attack?" Tai asked.   
  
Sora shook her head. "I don't know, Tai, I don't know." Tai accepted the answer, and continued speaking.   
  
  
He demanded, "Well, why didn't you run in the first place?"  
  
Looking at the scene around her, her friends, all gathered in her room, she answered him. "There was something in his eyes, Tai, that didn't make me want to leave. When I was frozen in place, it wasn't because of fear. Tai, it was because of the expression behind his blue eyes," she said.   
  
Joe looked up from where he had been gazing at the stars. "This is weird," he said. "I mean, he would have attacked any other time. Why not now?"   
  
He pushed his glasses back into place, and then Matt stepped in.   
  
"It is strange. Like Joe said, he would have attacked any other time. Maybe he didn't feel like it or something. I don't know." Matt shrugged his shoulders.   
  
Sora, who appeared to be in deep thought, was staring off into space now. Finally, she said in a far-off sounding whisper, "A light in the darkness."   
***  
"A light in the darkness?" questioned Tai. "What the hey does that mean?"  
  
Turning to look at him, Sora answered, "It's just something that I heard a long time ago: that, even in the most evil of creatures, there is some good, though overshadowed it may be-hence, a light in the darkness, good in all evil."   
  
She sighed, and shook her head. "Earlier, when I ran into Myotismon, I could just sense something in the air. It was like he was telling me-without words-that he would not harm me."   
  
Sora picked up her head, and looked out the window. The morning beyond was peaceful-almost too peaceful for the fact that there was an evil vampire Digimon living in the city. But, as Sora had implied-somewhere in Myotismon's mind, there was some good, though it was almost entirely overshadowed by evil.   
***  
That day, as Tai was watching TV, an emergency newscast came on.   
  
"There has been another monster sighted, this time near the waterfront. It appears to be some sort of a giant dragon, and . . ."   
  
Suddenly, the image on the TV screen became static. That meant that communications were down, which probably meant it was by damage . . .   
  
Tai jumped up and ran to get Agumon. "There's some monster down at the waterfront. That's our signal!"   
  
Agumon leaped out of bed, pulled on his disguise, and ran out the door with Tai.   
Little did they know, the others were doing the same. Matt and Gaubumon, Sora and Biyomon, Izzy and Tentomon, Mimi and Palmon, Joe and Gomamon, and T.K. and Patamon were all coming, too.   
***  
Upon arriving at the waterfront, Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, and T.K. all ran into each other. Their reunion was cut short by the attacking evil Digimon.  
  
Pulling out his computer, Izzy got onto his Digimon analyzer. When he found this Digimon, he gasped. The attacking Digimon was Trumhaemon!   
  
It was about as tall as a three-story building, and it was definitely not in a good mood. It smashed buildings at the waterfront, and also dove into the water and wreaked general havoc on everything around it.   
  
Reading through the information on Trumhaemon, Izzy informed the others, "Trumhaemon is an evil virus-type that is never in a good mood. He has puppy-dog loyalty to its master. His attack is 'Scythe Storm,' in which he whips his tail round and round, slicing through things before creating a small tornado that quickly dissolves."   
  
It was then that Izzy noticed the writing in the bottom right corner of the screen.   
  
"Huh?" he said, scratching his head. "What does 'Triinsahmur tunscharta' mean?"   
  
"It means vampire servant," sounded a voice behind him. He quickly turned, and saw a tall eleven-year-old girl, with blond hair and green eyes.   
  
"My name's Emily," she said. "And 'Triinsahmur tunscharta' means vampire servant in my language."   
  
"So you actually know what this thing is?"   
  
She nodded her head.   
  
"And it's a servant of Triinsahmur," she whispered. Her words were barely audible, but Izzy could just make them out.  
  
"Huh? Who's Triinsahmur?" asked Izzy.   
  
Lowering her head, so that she was looking at the ground, Emily answered, "You may know him better as Lord Myotismon."  
  
That made Izzy think.   
  
Turning round, he called, "Hey, guys! Come over here!"   
  
Those who were not busy came scrambling over, which were Mimi, Matt, Joe, and T.K.  
  
At the water's edge stood Tai and Sora. "Hey, Agumon, it is Digivolving time!" said Tai. Agumon nodded his lizard-like head.   
  
"Agumon digivolved to . . . GREYMON!"   
  
Soon, Greymon was charging at the rampaging Trumhaemon. His eyes glinted with the lust for battle.   
  
Looking down at her Digimon, Sora said, "Do you think you should go help him?" she asked Biyomon.   
  
Her Digimon answered, "Uh-huh!"   
  
"Biyomon digivolved to . . . BIRDRAMON!"   
  
Birdramon flapped towards where a battle between Greymon and Trumhaemon now ensued.   
  
Meanwhile, back with Izzy, Emily was explaining everything.   
  
"I like talking to him," she said, when everyone asked her why she had anything to do with Myotismon. "And it is more than just that. He understands me. He's the only one who does . . ."   
  
Sighing, she shook her head from side to side. "He's told me about you," she stated. "About both you and him are searching for the eighth child."   
  
Emily paused, and gazed at the group of children standing around her. They looked like they didn't understand Triinsahmur like she did.   
  
"Maybe, if you wanted me to, I could get him to come, and you could speak with him," offered Emily, brushing her bangs out of her face.   
  
Mimi nodded her head, as did Joe, Matt, T.K., and Izzy.  
  
She said, her head nodding also, "Okay, it's settled then. I'll see if he'll come tonight. And, do you want me to call off Trumhaemon? He'll listen to Triinsahmur, and also I."   
  
"Sure," said Mimi, smiling. "It would be wonderful if you would."   
  
So saying, Emily walked about fifteen feet closer to Trumhaemon, and shouted something at the top of her lungs in Styri, one of her languages. Trumhaemon, Birdramon, and Greymon all stopped battling. Trumhaemon listened intently before lumbering off.   
  
"I told him to return to Myotismon," she said. Then: "Meet me tonight, at the darkest place in the city. I'll be there, if I can get Triinsahmur to come."   
  
With that, she walked off. Mimi thought she saw something written on the back of Emily's hand, but, she was probably just imagining things.   
  
Just then, Tai and Sora came running up, with Agumon and Biyomon at their sides. They both wanted to what had just happened, and who the strange girl had been. Izzy explained it all to them.   
  
"She said to meet her in the darkest place in the city," he said. "Most likely at midnight. Certainly not during the day."   
  
"But how are we going to do that? I mean, we all have parents," worried Tai, which was unusual for him.   
  
Izzy just sighed. "Tell them you're at each others house," he instructed. "And we will, for a little bit."   
  
So saying, everyone headed home, prepared for that night.   
***  
At exactly eleven fifty-two, all the Digidestined were headed, in a group, towards the darkest place in town.   
  
  
As they walked along, their footsteps echoed terribly in the vast blackness of the night. Each small sound sent them looking in every direction, expecting to be attacked at any moment.   
  
When they finally reached their destination, at exactly eleven fifty-nine, Tai shuddered.   
  
"Oh, man, this place gives me the creeps," he said. "And to think of the fact that Myotismon is coming, too, just makes me want to faint."   
  
He shuddered again.   
  
And, exactly midnight, they heard a sound coming from the surrounding shadows.   
  
"This place gives me the creeps, with all these noises," muttered Joe.   
  
Then, he appeared.   
  
There was an air of dignity surrounding him, their enemy, as he stepped, out of the shadows, into the small, moonlit area. Beside him was Emily, as she had promised.   
  
At this, their first time to ever see their enemy face-to-face (except for in battle), the children all noticed that Myotismon had blue eyes, with very large pupils- perfectly adapted for seeing in the dark.   
  
They also noticed-very accented in the pale moonlight-his fangs.   
  
"Oh, goodness," said Mimi, and fell over, unconscious.   
  
Peering over her, Emily said, "Yeah, that almost happened to me when I first saw Triinsahmur."   
A Light in the Darkness  
  
III  
  
Staring Tai directly in the eye, Emily introduced him to Triinsahmur, even though they didn't need it.   
  
Tai looked Myotismon over. "Oh, man, he's someone you don't want to run into at midnight," he muttered under his breath. Then, realizing his situation, he slapped his palm against his forehead.   
  
Myotismon, meanwhile, was lost in thought. He had only come because this girl, called Ymparshthu, had convinced him to. She was the only one who understood him, even though there were things he had kept secret, almost forgetting himself, which he had never told anyone . . .   
  
He had always been treated cruelly as a young Digimon. If he ever had found something to do under another Digimon, they always took advantage of him. He had been small then, and weak, like Patamon. But, also like Patamon, he had Digivolved into a powerful creature, one that few dared to mess with. And, if they did, not all came out alive.   
  
Sighing inwardly, he also thought of his position now. He struck terror at the very souls of most Digimon, and he was lonesome, oh, so lonesome. Nobody ever stuck around him much, except for the idiotic, incompetent Demidevimon. And Demidevimon was the nothing more than a black, red-taloned Digimon who was constantly trying to take the credit for everything-and, in the process, sucking up to him.   
  
Even more possessive of his thoughts was this human girl, one who had enough courage to face him-and one sweet and caring enough to understand him. She wasn't frightened by him, and would probably defend him among the humans, if she had to. Wishing to be called Ymparshthu-it meant "darkness" in her language-she took the time to listen to his stories, share in his troubles. She also had her own problems, and other things, but every night she faithfully waited, sometimes never getting any sleep. And yet, she still did not abandon him. She was, to say the least, a true friend to he, a lonely vampire Digimon-who wasn't on the side of good, either. Ymparshthu also knew that he lived on the blood of others-and didn't care.   
  
On the ground, Mimi was coming to. Everyone except he and Ymparshthu were bent over her, making sure she was all right.   
  
When she finally did wake up, she said, "Sorry everyone. I just couldn't help myself. I don't like the dark very much, and-no offense, Myotismon-but Myotismon kind of scared me there. I mean, I knew he had fangs before, it's just that this time, in a very dark place at midnight, it was a little too much for me."   
  
It was then that her suspicions were proved true-there was something on the back of Emily's hand.   
  
"What's that?" she asked, pointing towards Ymparshthu's hand.   
  
"Huh? What? Oh, that," answered Emily, "is a birthmark, I do believe. Moon in the night sky, I always said."   
  
Holding up her hand, so that the Digidestined could look at the back-she had already shown it to Triinsahmur-she explained, "People always made fun of me because of it. One particularly nasty person called me a freak. Now, though, they've stopped; why, I don't know."   
  
She shook her head, and looked over at Myotismon. He was the only one who truly understood her, as she did him. He was, to her, a true friend.   
  
With out thinking, Sora blurted out, "Myotismon, why do you always wear that mask?"   
  
She of course was referring to the red mask covering his nose and eyes. She had not meant it as an insult, but, Myotismon was hardly ever questioned over it, so . . .   
  
"She wasn't insulting you," whispered Emily. "She was just curious."   
  
After about five seconds of utter silence, Myotismon finally answered Sora's question.   
  
"When I was young, I was constantly taken advantage of," he said slowly, fangs shining in the pale moonlight. "I was weak, like the little Patamon-"he motioned towards Patamon-"but, also like him, I Digivolved into a powerful being."   
  
He stopped for a moment, and contemplated his situation. He was explaining some of his dreadful past to the Digidestined, who were his enemies. But, at this moment, they were almost as friends. Almost.   
  
Starting again, he said, "I was almost always punished for crimes that I didn't commit, if I worked under another Digimon. As a matter of fact, I once worked for the same slave driver of a Digimon which you did." At this, he gestured towards Matt and Joe. "But, when I Digivolved, Veggiemon was terrified of me. He fell over himself apologizing to me."   
  
He remembered that. Veggiemon had been cruel to him before, but was sorry when Myotismon had Digivolved into what he was now. "Lord Myotismon, Lord Myotismon," he had said. "I am so sorry. I did not mean to!"   
Myotismon reached a gloved hand up to his pale cheek. He was trying to draw out his story as long as possible, not wanting to say why he hid his face behind a mask. The answer only reminded him of the beatings he once took, when he had done nothing. Nothing! If something broke at Veggiemon's diner, he was always blamed for it . . . even if it had been some other Digimon.   
  
"And why I wear this mask . . ." He sighed. "Is because of the scars from being taken advantage of, being punished when I did nothing."   
  
Pausing, he ran his fingers down his cheek. The scar left from his younger days, hidden under his mask, was a slash mark across his right eye-Veggiemon had given it to him in punishment for something that Digitamamon did. Yes, the idiotic creature hidden within an eggshell. He had almost destroyed-and I mean destroyed-the kitchen in Veggiemon's diner. The old slave driver had known that it was Digitamamon, but had blamed Myotismon for it instead.   
  
Just then, Joe broke Myotismon's train of thought with the question that everyone had been wondering about: "When Sora ran into you, why didn't you attack her?"   
  
Abruptly pulling his hand down, he answered, "She did not do anything to I. And, she had nothing to protect her. Why should have I? I needed not blood."   
  
Joe shuddered at the reply. The mention of blood was not at all pleasant to him, although he knew very well that Myotismon survived on the blood of other creatures.   
  
Mimi shut her eyes. She did not like the mention of blood, either. She felt herself beginning to sway . . .   
  
Coming up from behind, Tai caught her just as she was about to fall over again. "Thank you," she said. "I didn't really want to faint again, but the mention of blood always does that to me . . ."   
  
Myotismon softly shook his head. He then turned around, and started to stalk away.   
  
"Hey! Where are you going?" called Joe, who wanted to know why Myotismon was leaving.   
  
"I need to be alone" was the chill reply, which soon vanished into the surrounding blackness, as did the vampire Digimon. Not even Ymparshthu went after him, but understood that he needed to be by himself. There are just some things that must be thought of alone . . .   
  
With that, they all headed home, leaving Ymparshthu behind. She, too, needed to be alone-and the surrounding night, she felt, was her place.   
***  
The next day, everybody met at Joe's house. All they could talk about was the night before, even though they were all very tired.   
  
But Sora said nothing, only wondered what Myotismon-once her enemy, but the previous night her friend-was doing.   
  
And somewhere, hidden in an utterly dark place, among shadows-the vampire Digimon smiled. 


	2. Overshadowed

Overshadowed  
  
I  
  
The night glittered beautifully with shining blue-white stars. Inside it, a creeping fog curled its misty grasp around the town of Odaiba. And, within Odaiba, the Digidestined slept-but their enemy did not.   
***  
When Tai, the unofficial leader of the Digidestined, had finally gone to sleep, he was instantly transported into dreams. They were almost like nightmares, almost, but each of them ended happily, if not also sadly.   
  
Suddenly waking, for reasons unknown, Tai sat up in bed. He just couldn't stop thinking about last night.   
  
On that night, they had actually met Myotismon-face to face-but not in battle. They had talked to him, and discovered the answers to some of their questions. They now knew some of his past, and also the reason why he wore a mask-he had scars from the undeserved punishments he took as a young Digimon.   
  
And they also realized that there is some good, even in the most evil of beings. You see, one night, Sora ran into Myotismon, but was not attacked. When they later asked the reason for this, Myotismon had told them that she had no protection, she did not do anything to him, and that he "needed not blood."   
  
Blood. The sound of it made Tai shiver. Of course, they already knew he was a vampire-they had figured it out a couple of nights ago-but the fact that he survived on the blood of others was still unsettling.   
  
Tai also thought about Myotismon's past. He said that he had always been treated unfairly, and had been punished for things he didn't do. As a matter of fact, he had worked under the same slave driver as Joe and Matt at one point in his life.   
  
Now, though, it all seemed like a dream. He did not know why; it just did. I mean, the setting, the fact that they were talking with a vampire, a vampire-it just all seemed unreal.   
  
Sighing, Tai murmured, "I wonder what he's doing right now . . ."   
***  
Myotismon wasn't doing much, save thinking. Thinking about his past, his present, even sometimes about his future. Now that he had actually spoken to the Digidestined, he had a better idea of his opponents. He also now knew that they were close friends-they would defend each other to the end.   
  
He had no friends like that. He had no friends, period, except for the persistent human girl who called herself Ymparshthu . . .   
  
Her real name was Emily. Emily Ono. But she called herself "darkness" in her language, and him "vampire"-Triinsahmur. She even once had the nerve to ask him how he survived. It had hit a nerve, but, not wishing to hurt the young child he calmly-but dangerously close to icily-told Ymparshthu that he survived on the blood of others.   
  
The thought stirred unpleasant memories in him. Of when he Digivolved, among others-of his first kill, you might say. But he did not wish to recall that.  
  
Almost lost in thought, he noticed the first rays of the sun shooting over the horizon.   
***  
The next day, as everyone was gathered at Izzy's house, Izzy discovered an e-mail for him. "Now who could that be?" he muttered, and opened the file.   
  
He was not at all prepared for what was to come next.   
  
It was from Gennai.   
  
"Everybody come here, quick!" he called, over his shoulder. Tai, Matt, Sora, Mimi, Joe, and T.K. all came rushing over.   
  
Then, as they all watched on in wonder, Gennai began to speak to them.   
  
"I bring news from the Digiworld," said he. "It has gotten around that there is another Digidestined-a ninth one, to add to the eighth child that you're searching for. But, though you may not know it, you have already met him-or her, as it turns out to be."   
  
Everyone was puzzled. Another Digidestined? Who could it be? And what would their crest be of?   
  
"Who is it?!" demanded Tai. Gennai merely shook his head.   
  
"I can't remember," he said. "but I know that they are in Odaiba."   
  
Butting in, Matt asked, "But what is their crest of? There's already Courage, Friendship, Love, Knowledge, Sincerity, Reliability, and Hope, not counting the eighth child's! What could it possibly stand for?"   
  
"Her crest is of Faithfulness, I know that much," stated Gennai. "But that is where my knowledge runs out. You will have to find them on your own, from here. Goodbye."   
  
"But!-" exclaimed Tai. He was going to say, "But, where are they in Odaiba?"   
  
Said Mimi, "Well, the more the merrier!"   
  
Everyone was amazed. Another Digidestined? How could it be? They were still looking for the eighth child. But another one to look for? It was impossible! How could they do that and fight the evil Digimon at the same time?   
  
As he walked home about five minutes later, a flash of insight came to Tai. Could Kari be the eighth child?   
  
Softly shaking his head, he said, "Maybe, maybe . . ."   
***  
It was two days later that they found the eighth child. Gatomon and Wizardmon did, actually, but that didn't matter much. But they still had not gotten Kari's-she was the eighth Digidestined-crest.   
  
And it was also then that Izzy found an important clue to the ninth Digidestined.   
  
Izzy received another message from Gennai. In it, he said, "The only way for the ninth Digidestined to fulfil her destiny is for this to happen. At the full lunar eclipse, at exactly midnight, all the Digidestined, their Digimon, and the ninth Digidestined and her Digimon, had to be at the highest point in Odaiba-as the last rays of moonlight shoot from behind the shadow. Then, the ninth Digidestined's crest will glow, the Digivice go off-and prophecies will be fulfilled."   
  
This helped Izzy a bit more. Now they knew what they had to do, in order for the prophecies to be fulfilled-but, who would they have to do it for?   
***  
Emily "Ymparshthu" Ono was sitting at her desk, in her room, writing something down. It was the beginnings of a poem, a song. It went something like this:   
  
"Child of the Shadow,   
Creature of the Night,  
Take shelter in darkness   
In your plight."   
  
As I said, it was only the beginning, brought on by the memory of Triinsahmur.   
  
Standing up, Ymparshthu exclaimed, "Ouch!"   
  
It felt like she had hit her hand on something sharp, like the corner of a desk-but her hand had been nowhere near the corner of her desk.   
  
She rubbed her hand. It had been doing that lately, right where her birthmark was. The funny thing was, it had never happened before, until now-when it was nearing the full lunar eclipse.   
  
The pain struck again, only worse this time. It was sharper, like someone was driving nails into the back of her hand.   
  
She yelped in pain, and then, it subsided.   
  
Rubbing her hand again, she sat down on her bed. "I wonder if Triinsahmur will come tonight?" she wondered.   
  
She then started to stare off into space.   
***  
"Night, beautiful night. Darkness, soothing, utter blackness-stars brightly glittering-icy wind blowing . . ." Sora recalled a poem of someone she knew as she walked home, through the darkness. It was shortly after sunset, but, thanks to the fog, it was as dark as midnight.   
  
Her footsteps echoed loudly in the silence. Occasionally, a car passed by, but that happened very rarely. Not where she was.   
  
It was a long way-or seemed like it-between street lights. That made her trip even more unnerving. And, to add to it all, she could hear flitting sounds that made her skin crawl.   
  
There was one particular noise, like the rustle of leaves in the wind, that happened every so often. Each time, it got closer-but, thank goodness, it was still about ten feet away.   
  
Sora then heard it again-the unmistakable sound of something moving. It was either rustling leaves, or something walking across grass. She was leaning towards the first one, since she didn't want to lose her nerve.   
  
She would have been more comfortable, had Biyomon been with her. But, she was not; she was at home, hidden under the covers on Sora's bed.   
  
Suddenly, a loud noise came from behind her. It definitely was something-or someone- walking on the pavement behind. It was loud and clear.   
  
Sora spun around, to find herself staring straight into the deep blue eyes of Myotismon.   
  
And then, she knew no more, as she grew weak-kneed, and fainted.   
***  
"What happened?" questioned Tai. "What happened to Sora?"   
  
He was talking on the phone, to Matt.   
  
"I told you what Mimi relayed to me," said Matt. "Sora was put in the hospital last night!"   
  
Tai couldn't believe it. Healthy, tomboyish Sora was in the hospital. For what? Why would she need to go to a hospital?  
  
Informed Matt, "Mimi said that it was for anemia. Anemia, Tai! Why would Sora get anemia? Well, I have some ideas, myself."   
  
Tai silently nodded his head. He was sure that his ideas were the same as those of Matt.   
  
"I'll tell the others," he said. "And, I think I have somebody to ask about this."   
***  
Sora awoke to the sight of gleaming white hospital walls surrounding her.   
  
"Huh?" she said. She was puzzled. Where was she? Why was she here? She wanted to go home . . .   
  
She tried to lift her hand up to her face, but found that she was too weak to move it but an inch. Slowly and weakly lifting her head, she looked around at her new settings.   
  
It was then that she realized she was in a hospital.   
  
In the bed next to her was Sabrina, her twenty-one-year-old friend. She looked pale, almost as white as her sheets. Her black hair lay limply across her pillow.   
  
"Hmm? Sora, is that you?" she said, waking up. "What are you doing here?"   
  
Then, Sora remembered the events of the previous night: the noises, the darkness, and turning around to find herself staring into Myotismon's eyes.   
  
"Yeah, its me," answered Sora. She was tired, oh, so tired. But she felt that she must stay awake, try to make connections between it all.   
  
Her friend asked, "Why are you here?"   
  
Sighing, Sora told Sabrina her story.   
  
"Last night, I was walking home from a friend's house," she informed her friend, "and I kept hearing all these strange noises."   
  
"Same with me," cut in Sabrina.   
  
Sora continued. "Anyway, there was this one noise that kept coming closer, and closer and closer, until it finally stopped. But then, I heard another noise."   
  
She shuddered at the memory. There was another memory, too, one of Myotismon saying something about blood . . .   
  
"And I spun around to find myself staring into deep blue eyes. Then, I fainted."   
  
Sabrina nodded her black-haired head. "It was the same with me," she said, "only, there was something in those eyes that made me not even notice something . . . I can't remember what . . ."   
  
"Fangs," finished Sora. "He had fangs."   
***  
Meanwhile, back at Joe's house . . .   
  
Joe was in his room, studying and mentally shouting at himself for making a "C" on a test. Gomamon tried to get him to lighten up, but it just wouldn't work.   
  
"Oh no, it's the end of the world! Joe got a C! Oh, this is even more terrible than all the evil Digimon combined!" joked Gomamon, poking a claw at Joe.   
  
"Stop it, will you?" Joe said, almost angrily. But it was kind of hard to get angry with a funny guy like Gomamon. "I have another test to study for. This is my one chance to make up for the last one!"   
  
Bent over his book, Joe looked like an author hunched over their story.   
  
Gomamon laughed. Joe really was a nice kid, it's just that he needed to lighten up a little. But, other than that (and, sometimes, his complaints), he was an all-around pleasant person.   
  
Suddenly, the phone rang, jarring Joe from his thoughts, and scaring Gomamon half to death.   
  
"Hello," said Joe, answering it. The voice on the other end came so suddenly and loudly that it almost knocked him over in surprise.   
  
"Joe? Is that you?" asked Tai. He seemed worried about something . . .   
  
"Yeah, it's me," answered Joe. "Why are you calling?"   
  
Tai informed him, "It's about Sora. She had to be put in the hospital last night, and, from what Mimi heard from her, we personally know the reason."   
  
Joe knew as soon as Tai said that.   
  
"Myotismon," he said. "Yes" was Tai's answer.   
  
"But why would he do it? He said that Sora did nothing to him," Joe asked.   
  
"Think some more," said Tai, "you know the answer. As a matter of fact, you were the first one to figure it out, earlier."   
  
The answer suddenly popped into Joe's head.   
  
"She had anemia, didn't she?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"I just remembered . . . he lives on blood."   
  
On the other end of the line, Tai shuddered.   
  
"Mimi is going to visit her tonight. If she gets any more information, she'll tell us. Bye."   
  
With that, Tai hung up the phone, as did Joe (soon enough).   
  
"Oh, and did I mention that there's a time limit as to when we can find the ninth Digidestined?" asked Gomamon. "Tentomon told me."   
  
Joe hit himself in the forehead.   
***  
Kari Kamiya was sitting in the living room, watching cartoons, when Tai walked in. Gatomon, who was sitting beside the eighth Digidestined, immediately stood up.   
  
"So, any news?" she asked, stretching.   
  
Answered Tai, "Yes. Sora was hospitalized last night."   
  
Gatomon, who had been around Myotismon enough to know the cause, said, "But why? Didn't Myotismon leave you alone for right now?"   
  
Tai nodded his head. "Yes, but . . ."  
  
"But what?"   
  
"You know him well enough to know why."   
  
"Yes, I do," said Gatomon, stretching again. "I think I should know that by now, considering I used to be his most trusted servant, when he had me convinced that I was an evil Digimon."   
  
Kari was puzzled. "Tell me, Tai, why was Sora put in the hospital?"   
  
Shaking his head, Tai told her, "Because Myotismon survives on the blood of others. He said it himself."   
  
It was Kari who now shuddered. "But why, Tai? Why is he like that?"   
  
Her brother sighed. "I don't know why, Kari. All I know is that he is a vampire. And that he also happens to be evil, even with what happened a few nights ago," Tai answered.   
  
Gatomon reached a gloved paw up to her face. She knew what Myotismon was like. She also knew that Myotismon hunted every night, to survive. That meant that there would be many, many others. And the only way to save the remaining few would be to destroy Myotismon-her former master.   
***  
"I'm sure he didn't really mean it," whispered Mimi to Sora. Sora's friend, Sabrina, was asleep in the bed next to hers.   
  
Shaking her head, Sora said, "The only person other than Myotismon who would know that would be Emily Ono. And who knows where she is."   
  
She sighed. It had been a day now, but it seemed like a year. Time seemed to enter a no-passing zone in the hospital; all she could do was wait, and hope for visitors.   
  
Sora was still very weak. She was also pale, almost as white as her bed sheets. Hardly ever having the energy to, she rarely talked to Sabrina.  
  
Just then, Sabrina woke up.   
  
"Huh? Who are you?" she asked of Mimi. Sabrina was a bit dazed, seeing Sora's visitor.   
  
"My name's Mimi," answered she, "and Sora's a friend of mine."   
  
Sabrina nodded her head weakly, but as though she understood. She did.   
  
"Um, I don't mean to be rude, but can you tell me exactly what happened to you? To give you anemia, I mean?"  
  
She didn't take it at all as an insult, just a curious question to be answered.  
  
"Okay, here goes," said Sabrina.  
  
"A few nights ago, I was walking home from my job at about eleven thirty, since we'd worked late. It was really dark, thanks to the fog, and it seemed like a long way between street lights. So long, in fact, that the darkness started to get to me.   
  
"I kept hearing strange noises, but, since I was scared, convinced myself that my mind was just playing tricks on me. But there was this one noise that seemed to keep coming closer and closer to me.   
  
"Finally, I couldn't bear it any more. I turned around, and saw . . ."   
  
She paused, as if making sure it wasn't just some dream that had happened to her. If it were a dream, then how could she have ended up in the hospital for a severe case of anemia?   
  
"I saw a person, almost, standing behind me."   
  
Overshadowed  
  
II  
  
"It had deep blue eyes that somehow held me in place, and, as I told you, Sora, I was so preoccupied by them that I didn't hardly notice anything else. Except for gleaming white fangs. And they frightened me. But I couldn't seem to move . . ."  
  
Sabrina shuddered as best she could in her weak condition. She did not like to recall this at all . . .   
  
"The next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground, with paramedics surrounding me. I must have fainted, but . . . before I awoke, when I was half asleep, I could hear footsteps walking quietly off. I had to strain my ears to listen, so silent they were. But I could just make them out, before the ambulance arrived."   
  
She stopped, having told her tale. Then, since she was so tired, she fell right to sleep.   
  
Looking up at Mimi, Sora said, "I think we have a clue here."   
***  
I wonder who the ninth Digimon could be, thought Matt as he walked along. T.K. was elsewhere.   
  
Coming to an abrupt halt, he muttered, "And who could the ninth Digidestined be?"   
  
He shook his head. I would take forever to find them, and the lunar eclipse was drawing near . . .   
  
Just then, Izzy came up, at a sprint, behind him. Tentomon was following.   
  
"I-just received-another-message from-from-" he panted.   
  
"From who?!" asked Matt.   
  
"-From-Gennai."   
  
"Oh. What does it say?"   
  
Replied Izzy, "It says that we're closer to the ninth Digidestined than we think. It also gives a clue as to the ninth Digimon!"   
  
Matt was amazed, excited, and yet worried, all at the same time. If there was a ninth Digidestined, that would mean that Myotismon was probably searching, too.   
  
"Go on, go on," he said. Izzy did.   
  
"Gennai said that the ninth Digimon was of Darkness, and that the ninth Digidestined already knew them. And the ninth Digimon also has the Crest of Faithfulness."   
  
"Whoa! That's a big help," exclaimed Matt. "Now, all we have to do is find the ninth Digidestined and their Digimon. We don't have to worry about finding the crest, too."   
  
"Yes, I know. But the bad thing is, the lunar eclipse is drawing near. As a matter of fact, we now only have one day to find the ninth Digidestined, so we can be there for the eclipse," said Izzy, looking up at Matt.   
  
"Well, I need to go check out some information that Gennai gave me. Bye!" said he.   
  
"Bye!" answered Matt. "Bye."   
***  
Myotismon was restless. Lately, he had been subconsciously waiting for someone, as Gatomon once had. But why he? He was an independent Digimon, a leader among the evil.   
  
But, he had also been feeling his ties to evil slowly snapping. He did not belong there . . . it tore at his soul to see the innocent hurt when they did nothing, nothing, as he and the other evil Digimon searched the city for the eighth Digidestined.  
  
He pulled out the on Tag and Crest he still had-that of Faithfulness. Its dark black-blue colors were soothing to him, as the darkness was of that color.   
  
The design on it represented the eclipse, in which the ninth Digidestined would become fully one. And that had to happen at exactly midnight, with the last few rays of moonlight shining defiantly through before the whole of the moon's face was covered.   
  
Sighing, he thought of who the ninth Digidestined to whom it belonged was. Could it possibly be the one who knew him so well, Ymparshthu? Maybe. But it was only a possibility, not a true fact, then.   
  
He decided to see if his suspicions were true. He would wait until sundown, then Ymparshthu. After all, the Crest of Faithfulness glowed whenever it was near the ninth Digidestined. And it seemed to him that, if anyone in Odaiba was the ninth Digidestined, it was Emily "Ymparshthu" Ono.   
***  
That night, Ymparshthu was sitting at her desk, inspecting an object she found.   
  
It was a Digivice. Only her subconscious mind knew that, but she could not seem to retrieve the memory of what it was.   
  
She remembered a time, long, long ago. It had been a joyful time, filled with light and dark, both living together in harmony.   
  
She had been in another place then. But she had this Digivice-and a creature somewhat larger than her at her side, but not fully Digivolved. And it had deep blue eyes . . .   
  
Shaking her head, trying to remember, Emily was once again transported-by memory-to that place.   
  
The Dark and the Light lived in harmony there, with her making sure that their bonds would always be. And then, something happened-something of the Dark split its ties with the light, making the Dark its own, separate body-evil.   
  
The light valiantly fought, but the Evil was always there. It was then that Emily was transported to the human world.   
  
And it was also then that her Digimon, the not-yet-fully-Digivolved Myotismon, split with her, and was taken in by Evil.  
  
Ymparshthu was adopted. It was the one thing that only she, her parents, and Triinsahmur, her most trusted friend, knew.   
  
Just then, the Digivice started glowing. It caught Emily off guard, and almost sent her reeling head over heels out of her chair.   
  
Regaining her balance, she looked at the Digivice before her. Somewhere, hidden among her memories, was the answer to this puzzle. And that memory would be the return of long-forgotten Digidestiny . . .   
  
Suddenly, she heard a noise below her window. Rushing over to look outside, she saw Triinsahmur standing below.   
  
When he was inside, Myotismon noticed the Crest glowing with a dark, yet bright, light.   
***  
"Tonight is the lunar eclipse," Izzy urgently said, the next day. He was talking to Mimi, who had been informing him about what Sora had told her.   
  
Sora herself was healing rapidly, but was still pale and somewhat weak. But her strength was quickly replenishing, and she could walk-at least. A little bit.   
  
"That means that we need to hurry up and find the ninth Digidestined," replied Mimi. "From what Gennai said, the ninth Digidestined is the one who can unite the Light and the Dark again. And that is very important."   
  
Snapping his fingers, Izzy said, "Oh my goodness. I think I know who they are . . . I've got to tell Tai!"   
  
So saying, he and Mimi ran off to find their unofficial leader.   
***  
"Who do you think it could be?" asked Tai.   
  
"My theory is that it is Emily Ono, otherwise known as Ymparshthu," answered Izzy. "Gennai said that the ninth Digidestined would already know their Digimon."   
  
"But that would mean . . ." started Joe. (Everyone was gathered at Tai's house. It was about eight o'clock-and the lunar eclipse had just started.)   
  
Finished Matt, "That Myotismon is the ninth Digimon."   
***  
They all ran as hard as they could to the hospital, even Kari-she was a Digidestined, too, after all. But it was almost midnight, by now. And all the Digidestined, their Digimon, and the ninth Digidestined and their Digimon had to be at the highest point in Odaiba at exactly midnight.   
  
Meanwhile, Ymparshthu and Myotismon were hidden in the shadows at the bottom of he hospital. Myotismon had explained it all to Ymparshthu, who realized her faded memories were of peace-keeping in the Digiworld. And she knew her Digimon, too, the one that had been with her in the beginning, but separated as she was transported to the human world-Myotismon.   
  
It explained it all; why Myotismon chose to be with her, why she never ran away from him. It also explained why she cared for him.   
  
He still had the Crest, though. Now was not the proper time to return it to her . . .   
  
To get to the top, Ymparshthu merely rode on her Digimon, who thought that the return to Digidestiny was more important than pride.   
  
As they were nearing the top, so were Tai, Matt, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, T.K., and Kari.   
  
Only Sora was not present as they made their ascent. She still was not allowed to leave her hospital room, even though she was doing much better.   
  
But now, they were racing against time to discover the ninth Digidestined, and their Digimon-and bring peace back to the evil-filled Digiworld.   
  
Overshadowed  
  
III   
  
The moon was eleven twelfths of the way covered when they reached the top. Emily and Myotismon were already at the top, much to the surprise of the other Digidestined.   
  
Seeing her former master, Gatomon gasped.   
  
"You have nothing to fear, Gatomon. I now know how you felt, waiting for Kari. For I am the ninth Digimon," Myotismon said in a soft voice, not at all evil. Gatomon almost gave a sigh of relief.   
  
Pulling out the Crest of Faithfulness, he said (again softly), "Now is the time for you to regain what was once lost. Here is your crest, of Faithfulness."   
  
With that, he handed it to Ymparshthu. It seemed to glow a little as Emily took it from her Digimon.   
  
But still, Sora was not there, and the moon's face was rapidly being covered. In less than two minutes, it would be completely hidden-and, if Sora was not there, than the ninth Digidestined would never become fully one.   
  
When there was about thirty seconds left, Myotismon hung his head. "I was sorry then, and am sorry now, for what I did. She did nothing, nothing! Why did I attack? Why must I be this way?"   
  
"It's not your fault," said Emily, comforting him. "It's not your fault that you are like this. Don't be ashamed of who you are."   
  
Ten seconds, nine seconds, eight seconds, seven, five, four, three . . .   
  
And suddenly, there she was, standing tall and proud in the moonlight. Her hair blew a little in the wind . . .   
  
Two seconds . . .   
  
Emily held up her hand, with the Crest of Faithfulness in her palm.   
  
Myotismon moved closer, as if to protect her from anything that might come when the moment of truth arrived.   
  
One second . . .   
  
The crest glowed with a dark, yet piercingly bright, light, and her Digivice-which was attached to a belt loop at Emily's waist-started to beep.   
  
Suddenly, the last and brightest rays of moonlight streamed down from the night sky, as if they were spotlight beams fixing themselves on Emily Ono and her Digimon. The crest glowed even more, and the Digivice was beeping louder than ever. And suddenly, when it became too bright to bear, Myotismon stood side-by-side with Ymparshthu. They stood there for a moment, two incredibly bright figures in an even brighter pool of light, and suddenly, they were gone-vanished into thin air.   
  
For a moment, they were all blinded by the light which was now gone. But, when their eyes had once again adjusted to the darkness, they noticed that Ymparshthu and Myotismon were gone. There was no trace of them left, only the memory of that last moment in the moonlight.   
  
Just then, Mimi started crying. "Why did the go, and where to?" she sobbed. "They just vanished . . ."   
  
"There, there, now, Mimi," said Sora, patting her on the shoulder. Then, as she looked at the night beyond, she whispered, "They are where they belong, wherever that may be."   
***  
Emily Ono and Myotismon found themselves standing in a bright place in the Digiworld. Neither one of them were dazed, and they both remembered this place . . .   
"This was where I lived before the Dark and the Light broke their unity," said Emily, looking around. "And this is home." 


	3. The Return of Digidestiny

The Return of Digidestiny  
  
I  
  
It was a bright day in the city of Odaiba. Almost everyone was out and about, and those at home only were because they were either sick or had to work. All in all, it was a pleasant day.   
  
Many people were going on the infamous "Battle Site Tour," in which they were showed and taken to places where the Digidestined had once battled evil.   
  
"And this is where Sora and Mimi of the Digidestined were once attacked by a Digimon now known as SkullMeramon . . ." droned the guide, pointing to a red tower, which stood tall. Little did the tourists know, Sora and Mimi were hidden among the crowd. They had come for the memories of their battle against evil . . .   
  
Meanwhile, Joe Kido was putting the finishing touches on his book, "Battle for the Two Worlds", which told the story of his trip to the Digiworld, and back. It was omitting the part at the very end of their journey, in which Emily Ono and Myotismon had been transported somewhere by the last rays of moonlight at exactly midnight under the eclipse. As a matter of fact, he had left out the whole ninth Digidestined story-the people needed not to know.   
  
It had been eight years since that night, when Myotismon and the ninth Digidestined had been transported to elsewhere. The Digidestined had once been recognized as heroes, but were now sunken into the past. The only thing that remained was the flood of tourists wishing to see where they had battled the evil Digimon.   
  
Joe was now an author, helping people draw upon their own inner strength, as he had done so long ago when they were battling evil. Sora and Mimi were a matched pair, doing everything with each other, but they were still looking for work. T.K. and Kari were dating each other, and Izzy was a world-renowned computer programmer, known for his excellent accomplishments. Tai was known for soccer-he still played, after all these years. And finally, Matt was himself-the self-proclaimed "cool one" that some girls went mad over.   
  
They all still kept their Digimon, even though they had once been offered a large sum of money by some zoo. The Digidestined had declined, keeping their partners alongside them.   
  
No one had changed much; everyone looked the same, pretty much, except for the fact that they had grown.   
  
They all thought life in itself were an adventure, which it is, but their real quest was about to begin.   
***  
A tall, blond headed, green eyed girl walked silently down the sidewalk, followed by a dark figure that she was almost as tall as. They were heading for the ticket booth for the "Battle Sites Tour."   
  
When they arrived there, the person working the booth was curious as to who the girl's strange companion was. "A friend of mine interested in taking the tour," was all she said, very politely. At her belt was an odd device . . .   
  
After buying tickets, they waited just inside the gate for the next tour to begin. As they did so, they ran into the last group, which was the one that contained Sora and Mimi.   
  
Both of them noticed the girl and her dark companion, who reminded them of someone . . .   
  
It was then that Mimi and Sora noticed the Digivice attached to the belt loop of the girl. And that could only mean one thing . . .   
  
. . . That the girl was Emily Ono, the ninth Digidestined, and her shadowy companion was her Digimon, Myotismon.   
***  
"Oh my goodness," said Mimi. "Oh, my, goodness."   
  
It had seemed like forever since they last saw her and Myotismon, but it had actually been eight years. And they had never known where she had gone.   
  
Walking over, Sora said, "Hi. My name's Sora. Are you Ymparshthu?"   
  
Emily nodded her head.   
  
Whispered Mimi, "How is Myotismon with you? I thought he could only come out at night."   
  
Ymparshthu smiled. "I will explain later. Why do not you come with us? I can explain on the way."   
  
Of course she meant on the tour. But they had just come from that. Both of them, though, thought that the return of the ninth Digidestined was more important than paying five dollars to go on the same tour again.   
  
Five minutes later, they were on a bus, heading to the first spot.   
  
They all sat in the back, side by side, so no one could listen in on their conversation. It was then that Ymparshthu started to explain. .  
  
"First of all, it is my crest that allows Myotismon to be able to come out during the day. As you well know, it is of Faithfulness. That power enables him to withstand the sun's light. And," she said, "I know what had happened here. You are sunken into the past, as was I when I returned to the Digiworld."   
  
"Returned?" asked Sora and Mimi simultaneously.   
  
"Yes. I will tell you the rest of it when we have gathered all the others."   
  
Then, looking at Myotismon, Emily smiled. Myotismon gave a returning fanged smile. They were partners. Nothing would separate them . . .   
***  
Meanwhile, Izzy was working away at his computer. Suddenly, an image of Gennai popped up on the screen.   
  
"The ninth Digidestined is returned!" he exclaimed. "And I have some information from prophecies for you.   
  
"It is said that the ninth Digidestined has the ability to use Digimon attributes, if they have the energy. And that energy can only be provided by either their Digimon or their crest.   
  
"There's more. Prophecies foretell of the last Great Battle, which will take place between the ninth Digidestined and Evil. If the Light wins, then they will be united once more. But if not . . . then Evil shall reign supreme."   
  
"But Gennai," said Izzy, surprised, "where is the ninth Digidestined?"   
  
"Do not worry," was the reply. "She will come to you!"   
  
With that, the message ended, leaving Izzy sitting there, only able to contemplate this twist of fate.   
  
"This," he slowly whispered, "this is the return of Digidestiny."   
***  
Tai was resting in his apartment, splayed out on the couch. His sister, Kari, shared it with him, and was presently in her room. Gatomon was with her.   
  
Agumon was watching TV, when an emergency newscast came one.   
  
"People have reported seeing another one of the monsters sighted approximately eight years ago. This one, though, appears almost human, and has so far done no harm. All the same, some people on the 'Battle Sites Tour' have cancelled, refusing to 'go anywhere with that thing.'"   
  
"Hmm?" Agumon said, perking up. "Hey Tai, hey Kari! There's another Digimon somewhere here, and I get the feeling that it isn't Tentomon! Let's go check it out!"   
  
Kari came running from her room, and Tai jumped up from the couch. Together with Agumon and Gatomon, they ran out the door-and the Digivices attached to their belt loops started to beep.  
***  
"What they hey is THAT?!" exclaimed a twenty-year-old woman, pointing a finger at Myotismon. It seemed that someone had gotten it out that the vampire Digimon was travelling with three children: Sora, Mimi, and Emily.  
  
Myotismon ignored them. He knew that if he let them get to him, he might attack. And he did not want that to happen.   
  
Stepping forward, palms turned upwards in plea, Emily pleaded, "Can you not live with him merely in this world? Excluding him is discrimination, since you do not accept him because he is a Digimon."   
  
This made everyone think. There were still some who would simply not have him, though.   
  
One woman with short brown seemed lost in thought. To herself, she whispered, "Could it be? . . ." She had a faint memory of a dark night, eight or nine years ago, in which she had an encounter she would never forget . . .   
  
Stepping slowly up to Myotismon, who had his back turned to the crowd while Emily pleaded with them, she whispered, "Is it you?"   
  
Myotismon turned slowly around. His deep blue eyes took in the human before him who stirred a memory in his mind, one of when he was still with the evil.   
  
At first, he did not answer, not wishing to recall it. But, he finally-but slowly and quietly-answered, "Yes."   
  
Hearing the conversation made Sora reach up to a scar on her own neck, one that reminded her of eight years ago, when she was hospitalized . . . for anemia.   
  
The woman smiled, and slowly walked back. Yes, she remembered that night. A night of no forgetting . . .   
  
Jarring all their thoughts, someone suddenly shouted, "I remember eight years ago, when a lot of people were getting anemia. Then, all the monsters went away, and nobody knew what happened. But I have a few ideas myself."   
  
"Do not listen to them, Myotismon," said Emily. "They know not what you have been through."   
  
He shook his head. "There is no use denying what, in truth, I did."   
  
Just then, Tai and Kari burst in on the scene, Agumon and Gatomon trailing.   
  
"Oh, goodness, two more of them," said one person, and fainted.   
  
"What's going on here?" demanded Tai, surveying the scene around him. Then, as he spotted Emily and Myotismon, said, "What the hey . . . ?"   
  
Myotismon stepped forward. "The ninth Digidestined is returned."   
***  
"The what? The ninth Digidestined? But there is no ninth Digidestined, just Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, T.K., and Kari!" exclaimed one patron. All Tai and Kari did was stand there, both of them dumbfounded.   
  
"But how . . . ? What . . . ?" started Tai, but could not finish.   
  
Still, one person remembered the before conversation.   
  
"I remember when you were looking for the eighth Digidestined!" they shouted at Myotismon. "You wrecked, I mean wrecked, my car with your stupid Mammothmon! And wasn't it you who was giving all those people anemia?!" Apparently, they had noticed Myotismon's gleaming white fangs, accented by his dark purple lips.   
Looking them straight in the eye, he replied, "Yes. Yes, it was I. But I cannot help what I am."   
  
He flashed a fanged smile, letting all who had not seen take it in. The person who had fainted earlier had just woken up, and fainted again.   
  
"See?! He was the one!" shouted the angry person.   
  
"Hey, everybody calm down!" ordered Tai.   
  
"Why should I? My daughter was sent to the hospital because of that thing!"   
  
Tai turned to face Myotismon. "Is that true?" he asked.   
  
Myotismon was silent for a moment, and Emily moved closer until she was up against him. She would defend him with all her strength.   
  
"Yes."   
  
Just then, someone with the news walked up, and began to question Ymparshthu.   
  
"How does it feel to find this out now? And what they hey are you doing with that thing?"   
  
Emily merely raised a hand. "He cannot help what he is, as neither you nor I can help that we are humans. Leave him be; can you not even have him existing?" she said. With that, they walked off. The other Digidestined followed. No one even tried to stop them.   
***  
Izzy was working, once again, at his computer, when he heard a loud knocking on the door of is apartment. "Just a minute," he said, and saved his progress. He then walked over to the door, and opened it.   
  
He never expected to see Tai, Kari, Mimi, Sora, Emily, Myotismon, Biyomon, Agumon, Gatomon, and Palmon waiting just outside his door for him.   
  
"Thanks," said Tai, walking in. The others followed.   
  
"What the? What are you? How? . . ." started Izzy, seeing Emily and Myotismon. He couldn't even talk at the sight of them, it had been so long.   
  
"She'll explain it all in a minute," Sora informed Izzy, "But first, we have to get all the others. Do you have a phone?"   
  
Izzy weakly nodded his head as he stared up at Myotismon. Then, he and Emily walked past the extraordinary computer programmer, into his apartment.  
***  
Two hours later, all the Digidestined were meeting for the first time in eight years. There was a lot of reminiscing, mostly among Matt and Sora. All the Digimon were talking to each other, except for Myotismon, who stood-off by himself-in a dark corner.   
  
"Well, I guess you're all wondering why I brought you here," said Tai, stepping forward. (I've always wanted to say thought, he thought.) Silence. "It's because of the return of the ninth Digidestined from the Digiworld."   
  
Butting in, Izzy said, "Gennai told me about all this. He did, about five minutes ago. He also said that the ninth Digidestined could use Digimon attributes, if they ever get the energy."  
  
Everyone nodded their heads. Everyone, that is, except Emily and Myotismon. The ninth Digidestined was trying to persuade him to join the others.   
  
"Why will you not come?" she asked, to which he answered: "Can you not sense it? I believe they do not quite trust me. After all, I was, at one time, their enemy."   
  
She thought about this. It could be true. But then again, it also had the possibility of being false.   
  
"Come," she said, starting towards the others. Of course, Myotismon followed.   
  
"How could that be possible?" argued Matt. "None of us can do that!"   
  
Izzy shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that's all Gennai told me. He didn't explain how."   
  
"Let's get back to the point!" exclaimed Tai. "Now, Emily, do you know exactly why you came back?"   
  
"I bring news from the Digiworld," said she. She then began to explain.   
  
"Evil has become its own separate body again. This time, though, it has more than one leader-and they have combined powers. To you, they may be familiar."   
  
Huh? thought Tai. Familiar? How could that be?   
  
"They are Devimon and Etemon."  
  
"What the!" started Tai, who was immediately shushed by fifteen other voices. Emily continued.   
  
"They are back from their previous defeats, and are more powerful-and wise-than before. They will never again underestimate you."   
  
Silence.   
  
"This time, they have had the insight to combine powers. And, thus far, it works," Emily said. "They have already regained Server and File Island. They are on their way to conquering other continents. Some have dared to battle them, but . . . were easily defeated."   
  
She stopped for a moment, contemplating the situation.   
  
"I had to return to warn you-and to say that Digidestiny is returned. We must all go to the Digiworld to stop them."   
  
"But what about this world?" asked Matt.   
  
"I do not know," said Emily, and went on with her story.  
  
"They have convinced many Digimon unhappy about the uniting of the Light and Dark to join them, under the illusion that, in the end, they will receive part of the treasures. But there are no treasures, just the pain and suffering of those held in their grasp. They have fooled many into believing them. And, if we do not act quickly, the Digiworld will be lost. And as you know, it is connected to our world . . . so, if we do not win, both the human world and the Digiworld will be destroyed by the grasp of evil."   
  
Everyone was silent, as though lost in thought. Finally, T.K. spoke up.   
  
"This isn't good," he said. "They can't be allowed to win. No. None of us will let them. Right?"   
  
Everyone turned and looked at each other. They were the Digidestined, the chosen to save the Digiworld. Only they could defeat Evil, and reunite the Light and the Dark-therefore saving two worlds, theirs and the Digiworld.   
  
Looking up from where she had been staring at the floor, Mimi quietly but determinedly said, "I'm in."   
"Me, too," said Joe.   
"And don't forget me," Kari and T.K. said, simultaneously.   
"Don't leave me out," said Sora.   
"Or me, either," put in Matt.   
"Do not forget I," added Izzy.   
Stepping forward, Tai said, "And me, too. We're all going back-together. So come what may, the Digidestined are returning!"   
Emily smiled. "Then so be it. The Digidestined are returning."   
"But, how are we going to get there?" asked Tai, dampening the mood.   
"Leave that to us," answered Emily. "Leave that to us."  
***  
Tai sprawled out on his couch, exhausted. It was now night, but he was still worn out from the last meeting. One thought, though, prevented him from sleep: how were they going to get back to the Digiworld?   
***  
Meanwhile, Emily and Myotismon were wide awake. They knew one way to get back to the Digiworld, but it was a hard one. It was different than the dimensional rift, or when the original seven Digidestined had first gone to the Digiworld. It was a very complex route, involving many different things that only the ninth Digidestined and her Digimon knew about, learning as they traveled across the Digiworld to unite the Light and the Dark once again.   
  
Emily sighed, and recalled the exact words once again: Kunshaerta purnahi, tluransiing ras kuraesh, puun raer tan slaer tluraen ska Turm ras Shrae. In English, they roughly meant: Two worlds have crossed, human and Digital, take us there by power of Dark and Light.   
  
She looked up at Myotismon, and smiled. They would never be separated. And they would prove that to the world on their next quest.   
  
The Return of Digidestiny  
  
II  
  
The next day, Tai called Matt.   
  
"Hey, Matt," he said, "so you have any idea of what we're going to do?"   
  
On the other end of the line, Matt shook his head. "No, Tai, that's all up to Emily and Myotismon," he answered.   
  
"Oh. Well, that was all I wanted to know, for now. Bye."   
  
"Bye."   
  
So saying, he hung up the phone, not knowing anything more than when he began.   
  
He threw himself onto his bed in his room, and thought about what was to come.   
***  
That afternoon, there was a knock at his door. It was Emily and Myotismon.   
  
"We need a place to stay," the ninth Digidestined said. "Do you have room for us?"   
  
Tai eyed Myotismon. "Sure," he replied. "You can have my room. I'll sleep on the couch. I do half the time, anyway. Not much of a change to me. But I'll do anything to help a friend!"   
  
"Thank you," said Emily, very politely, and stepped inside. Myotismon followed.   
  
Much as he tried, Tai still did not trust Myotismon very much. After all, he used to be their enemy. But he had proven before that he was someone you could rely on. So why did Tai not trust him now?   
  
He thought, It's just that he used to be my enemy, that's all. How could he now be my friend?  
  
With that, he closed the door and once again sprawled himself across the couch.   
***  
That night, as everyone slept, Myotismon was wandering about Tai and Kari's apartment. The darkness, the night was still his place, even though he could now go out during the day, or in light.   
  
Stepping quietly into Kari's room, he saw Gatomon sleeping beside her bed like a dog loyal to its master.   
  
"Sweet Kari," he whispered, to himself. "I remember when I was once searching for you-only to destroy you in the end. But Ymparshthu changed all that."   
  
Yes, she did. She had brought out the good in him, and also brought back his memories of when he was of the Good-and her Digimon as she was Keeper of the Bond between the Light and the Dark.   
  
He stalked out of Kari's room, and made way to where Ymparshthu was spending the night.   
  
She was deeply asleep, consumed by dream-filled slumber. Her Digivice was on the floor beside the bed, there being no bedside table in Tai's room.   
  
Ymparshthu, Myotismon thought. Ymparshthu, you were the one who delivered me from Evil. You were also the one to be a true friend to I, an evil creature, when I most needed one. I am eternally grateful . . .   
  
Sighing, he recalled life then. It was not pleasant . . . He had caused the innocent to suffer, and they had done nothing. Nothing! It had been the Digidestined he was after then, when he was trying to destroy them . . . But it had all been set into motion when Evil first became its separate body, and Ymparshthu was transported to the human world. It was then that Evil took him under its dark wing.   
  
He found himself wandering into the living room, where Tai was snoring away, curled up on the couch. Agumon was-for unknown reasons, and how he did it, not even Tai knows-sleeping on the coffee table. He, too, was snoring, and sounded like a door with rusted hinges being opened.   
  
There was a mirror in the living room, for decoration. Myotismon happened to walk past it, and . . . it only rubbed in the fact of his existence. There was no reflection.   
  
It was too much for him. Myotismon's very existence depended upon the fact that he preyed on the blood of others. It was too painful for him. Just to survive he made others suffer. In the end, it all bore a terrible weight on his conscience.   
  
He took the glove off of his right hand, revealing a slender and pale hand. Myotismon reached it up to his face, and . . pricked himself on one of his fangs. A drop of dark red blood oozed from the wound.   
  
He put the glove back on again, and thought of his present position. He would never leave Ymparshthu's side, not now, not ever . . . And he was slowly starving himself in the process of his loyalty. It had been days since he had fed.   
  
His very existence caused pain to others. He was made a creature of the Night, of the Darkness, causing others suffering in order for himself to live. His fangs were evilly pointed, tipped by wicked sharpness that was enough to kill in battle. And he was silent, only heard when he meant to be heard. In the end, it all made him one thing-a creature designed for battle, for the pain and suffering of others. But it was he who suffered the most.   
***  
The next day, Ymparshthu awoke to find Myotismon standing in the far corner of Tai's room, keeping watch over her. She herself was refreshed by a peaceful night's sleep, and was soon ready to go almost anywhere.   
  
Tai was in the kitchen, making breakfast. He still remembered how to cook, even though it had been eight or nine years since Matt had taught him. Agumon was watching TV with Kari and Gatomon.   
  
Even though the news was on, there wasn't anything else to do, so the eighth Digidestined, her Digimon, and Agumon watched it anyway. Right then, there was something on about the Digimon in this world.   
  
"Several people have begun to remember things from eight years ago, brought on by the Digimon seen yesterday. One person claimed to have almost been killed by and evil Digimon on a rampage through the city. Yet another person said that their then twenty-one-year-old cousin was sent to the hospital for severe anemia eight years ago. They said that this happened because 'of that creepy human-like Digimon.'"   
  
Hearing that only struck a blow at Myotismon's heart.   
  
The newscast continued. "Now, we will show you our interview with Sora and Biyomon of the Digidestined."   
  
Up popped an image of Sora, with Biyomon standing by her side. A reporter armed with a microphone was questioning them.   
  
"Sora, how did it feel to fight evil Digimon eight years ago?"   
  
Sora seemed lost in thought, then finally answered. "The best I can say is that it felt perilous. But, with my friends beside me, it was a task not impossible."   
  
The reporter nodded their head.   
  
"How does it feel to meet another Digimon other than your own after all these years?" they asked.   
  
She looked down at Biyomon, who answered for her. Said she, "It was kind of exciting, but also kind of scary. And yet again it was kind of amazing, having not seen them in eight years."   
  
It went on, but Agumon soon lost interest. He wandered into the kitchen to see if he could help Tai.   
  
When breakfast was ready, everyone rushed into what Tai and Kari had for a dining room. Everyone, that is, except for Myotismon. He needed to be alone, to rest.   
  
Tai had made scrambled eggs, and they were absolutely delicious. And, even though she had been in the Digiworld for eight years, Ymparshthu still had wonderful table manners-they were very unlike those of Tai when he had first come back through the dimensional rift created by MetalGreymon.   
  
When everyone was done eating, Tai and Kari washed the dishes, and then the cook flung himself across the couch. Kari and Gatomon went to her room.  
  
Tai turned off the TV, and started to stare off into space. It turned out that Myotismon could be trusted not to attack when everyone was asleep. Somehow, though, Tai was unsettled by him. Maybe it was the fact of what he was-a vampire. Maybe it was because he had once been their enemy. There were a lot of maybes, but Tai didn't know if any of them were true. All he knew was that he somehow didn't trust Myotismon as he trusted the other Digidestined Digimon.   
  
Meanwhile, Emily had found her way back into Tai's room, where she sat on the bed. Myotismon had hidden himself in some dark corner, where, she did not know. She was alone, for now.   
  
She picked up her Digivice, which was once again attached to her belt loop. The device she held in her palm was a symbol of the Digidestined, and also the only way-other than the crests-to make their Digimon digivolve.   
  
Ymparshthu looked up to find Myotismon before her. He looked weak, like he was barely standing . . .   
  
He was terribly weak. He did not even have the strength to stand, so he just . . . almost . . . fell over onto Tai's bed.   
  
"Tai! Kari! Agumon! Gatomon!" shouted she. "Myotismon needs help!"   
  
As Tai, Kari, and their Digimon came running in, Ymparshthu said to Myotismon, "I will do whatever I can for you."   
***  
Knowing her partner better than anyone else, Ymparshthu soon found the reason for Myotismon's weakened state. She, too, knew that her partner was starving himself in his loyalty to her, staying always by her side. Tai, Kari, and Agumon, though, had not figured it out yet. Gatomon had because, for a long time, she had been a servant of Myotismon-when he had been evil, that is.   
  
"Triinsahmur, I know why this has befallen you," Ymparshthu said. "But, for your sake, I will not say it aloud. All I ask is one thing: why have you starved yourself?"   
  
"I will not leave your side," was his barely audible reply. With that, he said no more.   
  
"Hoo boy," said Tai. "I'm in over my head."   
***  
"Uh, hello?" asked Tai into the receiver. "Are you there, Joe?"   
  
The phone kept ringing, until someone finally picked it up.   
  
"Hello, this is Joe Kido. May I ask who is speaking?"   
  
"Uh, it's me, Tai. Listen, I kind of need your help. Do you think you can come over to my apartment? If you can, please hurry. You might know what to do . . ."   
  
Tai's voice trailed off, waiting for an answer.   
  
"Okay," Joe slowly replied. "I'll be over as fast as I can."   
  
So saying, he hung up. Now all Tai could do was wait.   
***  
On the way to Tai's apartment, Joe ran into Matt and T.K. They were just walking around town, with nothing good to do.   
  
"Um, hello," Joe said, stopping abruptly. "I'm sorry, but I can't talk for long. Tai needs me!"   
  
"Can we come?" asked T.K.   
  
Joe thought a moment. "I don't see why not," he finally answered.   
  
With that, he took off again, this time with Matt and T.K. trailing.   
***  
When Joe, Matt, and T.K. finally burst into Tai's apartment, they knocked its owner over. He had been standing right behind the door, waiting for someone to knock. If it had been a newsperson that did, he would have either knocked them out or chased them away.   
  
"Okay, just what is it that you need me for?" Joe asked.   
  
Tai sighed, and shook his head. "Maybe you'll know what to do, but Ymparshthu seems to know the most about the situation. Follow me."   
  
So saying, he turned and walked off. Joe, Matt, and T.K. followed, with T.K. closing the door as soon as he stepped inside.   
  
When they arrived in Tai's room, each one of them nearly fainted. They had not expected to see Myotismon.   
  
"What's he doing here?" whispered Joe. "Ymparshthu and he needed somewhere to stay for the night. I told her that they could stay in my room."   
  
"It's a good thing Mimi isn't here," said Matt, "or else we would be picking her up off the floor right about now."   
  
They all walked in, and now noticed Ymparshthu on the floor beside her Digimon, who was now lain on Tai's bed. She held his gloved hand in her own smaller one.   
  
Looking up, she said, "He's weak. I don't know what to do for him . . . I thought that maybe you would know, although this is quite possibly beyond your knowledge of medicine."   
  
Joe sighed. "You're right, I really don't know what to do. But I can try my best."   
***  
Two hours later, they had made no progress.   
  
"I never knew much about how to treat injured Digimon anyway. But this . . . this is different than injury. This is starvation," Joe said. He stood up, as though ready to go. But he had no intention of leaving, not when one of his friends needed his help . . .   
  
It was then that his crest started to glow, after eight long years of laying dark.   
  
"Myotismon," whispered Ymparshthu. "I will never let you die, no, I won't. I would give myself for you to live . . ."   
  
Her crest, too, started to glow, with a dark-yet piercingly bright-light.   
  
Tai noticed this, and thought, Yes, Digidestiny truly has returned.   
  
"What can we do?" piped up T.K. Tai shook his head. "I don't know," he said slowly. "I don't know. I never was an expert at taking care of injured people, let alone Digimon. This is totally new to me."   
  
"I think . . . I think that maybe the others will know what to do," put in Matt. "They just might."   
  
With that, he walked off towards the phone in an attempt to gather the Digidestined once more.   
***  
When everyone was finally gathered, Tai presented the situation to those who had not heard it. Of course, Mimi fainted at the mention of the word "blood," and it took a while to wake her up again.   
  
"Now that that's over . . ." started Tai. But he was cut off by Izzy.   
  
"Yes, I know the situation now is bad," said he, "but how are we going to the Digiworld?"   
  
"Leave that to Ymparshthu," said everyone else, except for Myotismon and Ymparshthu herself, simultaneously.   
  
Meanwhile, the ninth Digidestined was talking with her Digimon.  
  
"Why have you brought this upon yourself?" she asked. Myotismon gave a weak answer, "I will not leave you," and looked away. He could not stand to look into the sorrowful depths of Emily's eyes, because all that sorrow was for him . . .  
  
"Why do you feel sorry for me?" he questioned. "I am some . . . creature . . . that causes others to suffer in order for myself to live. I know that Tai, as well as some of the other Digidestined, does not trust me. I have an idea what he thinks of me, that I enjoy my life like this. He could not be more wrong. In the end, it is I who suffers the most. Please, feel no sorrow for a creature such as I. I do not believe there is anything you can do."   
  
If the other Digidestined were there, they would have agreed that the next thing Ymparshthu was the most selfless and courageous thing heard in life thus far.   
  
"I could give myself."   
***  
Tai led the others into his room, where Ymparshthu knelt on the floor beside the bed. Once again, Mimi fainted as she saw Myotismon. When she was later asked why, she answered, "I'm just never going to get used to it, after hearing the word 'blood' mentioned by him."   
  
"This is getting worse and worse, isn't it?" muttered Matt.   
  
Looking up, Emily said, "There isn't much we can do. There is one thing, and you all know it, but do not wish to say it aloud . . . And please, if you figure it out, do not say it aloud, Myotismon's sake."  
***  
Meanwhile, back in the Digiworld . . .   
  
"Oh, no," a Veggiemon said, looking up the path towards the advancing figures of Devimon and Etemon. "Not again."   
  
The Veggiemon was a member of the ranks, one of those who had been convinced to battle the Light under Devimon and Etemon. He was somewhat high-ranking, but soon found out he did not like his job. The only reason he stayed in was the promise of land and prisoners of war that would work in his diner, if they won.   
  
If they won.   
  
"Uh, hello, nice day, isn't it?" he stammered, bouncing up the dirt path towards his superiors. Devimon acknowledged this, but continued listening to what his partner had to say.   
  
Hoo boy, thought Veggiemon. It's going to be a long day.   
  
Suddenly, an ugly little Bakemon came floating up to Devimon and Etemon. Since Myotismon had never returned from the real world as their master, the ghostly Digimon had taken up with the new evil Digimon.   
  
"Devimon! Etemon! I have important news from down south," he proclaimed. "Many of my people are willing to fight for you, now that our former master is . . . fighting with the Light. But, he hasn't been back in years, so you don't need to worry about him." (Don't forget, a few days in the human world are a few years in the Digiworld.)   
  
Devimon smiled evilly, and raised a large hand to momentarily silence Etemon. His blood red eyes narrowed for a second, then returned to their usual size. "Good. You have done well," he said, and dismissed the Bakemon with the wave of a clawed hand. The Digimon floated off.   
  
"Now, as I was saying . . ." started Etemon again, who was once more silenced by Devimon. "Not now, Etemon, my partner," he said. "There are other matters to take care of."   
***  
She felt a deep and angry pain as she stood there, hair flowing in the wind beneath the starry night sky. Her two dark opponents had not expected this change, having never heard the prophecies . . .   
  
That was to be their downfall.   
  
She, now the guardian, looked down at her friend, who lay sprawled across the ground. He had taken a huge energy blast that was meant for her, for her, and it had weakened him beyond help. And then, he gave her the last of his energy-and in doing so assured the fact that he would not live.   
  
Her green eyes narrowed into slits, and began to change colors . . . into deep blue.   
  
She closed her eyes in concentration, channeling her energy . . . It was now concentrated in one spot, in her right hand . . .   
  
Suddenly opening her eyes, she shot her right hand forward, and blasted a large, pulsating black-blue ball of energy at her opponents. They hurt her friend . . . he had only been trying to protect her . . . now they would pay.   
  
She had loved him, had a bond indescribable with him . . . Was much closer to him than she was to her own parents . . .   
  
Her opponents, taken off guard by this sudden onslaught, had no time to dodge the oncoming attack. So, it hit them full force, knocking the weaker to the ground. The other still stood, though dazed they were.   
  
The one still standing spread their ragged wings, and an evil smiled formed itself on their lips.   
  
"I never expected that from you," he cruelly said. "You, the weak one, the one misunderstood, as was your Digimon . . . Ymparshthu."   
  
She shot them a burning, hateful glare, and icily whispered, "You . . . beast. You creature. You injured my friend. And you, you were the one to make him evil. Now just thinking of that torments him. And you were the one who caused him to do all that . . . to harm the innocent, to feel no remorse for evil deeds that were not his nature . . . you monster!"   
  
By the last sentence, her voice had risen to a normal-but angry-speaking tone; her last two words were a sorrowful yet hateful cry.   
  
She concentrated again, and in her eyes shone the power that had been passed onto her from Myotismon. Once again, she channeled her energy-but this time, not to a specific place. She could feel the raw power coursing through her veins . . .   
  
"Nightmare Claw!"   
  
The attack came suddenly and swiftly to her enemies, knocking over Devimon-the one still standing-and temporarily knocking out his partner, Etemon. Devimon, though, remained able to fight-the onslaught had only weakened him some.   
  
"Hah! Mere child's play," he laughed. "Now it is time for the real battle to begin."   
  
He once again spread his ragged wings, and moonlight shined through the holes in them.   
  
"Shadowy Onslaught!"   
  
The shadows standing at her feet rose and curled, reaching their dark grasp upward to capture her. They swirled, and twisted, and formed a cage around her. But she was stronger than the shadows.   
  
Raising her hand , so it was held in front of her, she whispered something in one of her languages. The shadows obeyed, peeling away and returning to their former position.   
  
She let her hand drop, and shut her eyes. She was concentrating harder, harder . . .   
  
She looked up, head down, and whispered, "You shall never win."   
  
Throwing back her head, she blasted another shot of energy at her opponents. This one, though, looked like a huge scarlet beam-and it Devimon right in his stomach. The dark Digimon was knocked over by the force of the attack.   
  
Pulling himself up, Etemon looked over his now fallen partner. It was his turn to battle.   
  
"Who needs the Dark Network now, when I can just destroy you my myself? Uh-huh-huh, uh-huh-huh," he said, drawing back his right hand as if to punch Ymparshthu. As it was, he instead shot a black-green ball of energy at her. It sped closer, and closer . . .   
  
Ymparshthu shot Etemon a look of pure hatred. He and his foul partner had injured her Triinsahmur . . .   
  
When the energy ball was less than three feet from her face, she stuck out a hand as if signaling it to stop. It did, and with a movement of her fingers, it vanished.   
  
She looked down at Triinsahmur, laying sprawled across the ground beneath the glittering night sky, and gave him a smile that said, "Everything will be all right once more."   
  
Her Digimon returned the smile with a touch of his own-gleaming fangs. His fair Ymparshthu was battling . . . for him. But there was a somewhat different expression behind his smile. It was a sad expression . . .   
***  
Ymparshthu awoke suddenly from the strange dream that she had had. It seemed so real, as though she was fighting in it . . . could it possibly be a prophetic dream? Quite possibly yes . . .   
  
Looking up, she noticed that Myotismon was no where to be found. Where could he have gone? He said it himself, he would never leave her.   
  
She heard the slightest sound behind her, and turned around. It was Myotismon.   
  
"Triinsahmur?" she asked quietly. "Where were you? I was worried . . ."   
  
He sent her a look explaining it all. He had been on the hunt.   
  
He no longer had a weak appearance, but seemed back to his normal, powerful and caring self.   
  
"I am ready," he said, catching her off guard, "to return to the Digiworld."  
***  
The Digidestined all met the next day. It seemed that everyone was ready to return to the Digiworld-so, they all decided to go that night.   
  
At about ten o'clock, everyone met in the same place as when the first seven Digidestined had encountered Myotismon outside of battle. It was almost as black as it had been that night.   
  
Ymparshthu was the one who led everything right then. She knew what she was doing, unlike the other Digidestined. They hadn't a clue as to how to return to the Digiworld.   
  
At 10:05, Ymparshthu gently commanded, "Everyone, hold out your Digivice." They all obeyed.   
  
Instinctively, they and their Digimon formed a ring around the ninth Digidestined and Myotismon.   
  
"Raise the hand holding your Digivice," Ymparshthu said. Everyone did.   
  
She was the last to raise hers, holding it high above her head. It was the same color as her Crest, dark black-blue, with blood red buttons.   
  
Every single Digivice-as did Tag and Crest-started to glow.   
  
Suddenly, the ninth Digidestined called out, "Kunshaerta purnahi, tluransiing ras kuraesh, puun raer tan slaer tluraen ska Turm ras Shrae!"   
  
The Digivices started beeping loudly, and the Crests were glowing like miniature bonfires. Then, the circle started to glow-and the world became so bright, it blinded everyone. The last thing they felt was as if they were rushing along at a great speed . . .   
***  
Tai awoke with a throbbing headache. Every limb of his body was numb. He was so sore, it felt like even his hair hurt.   
  
"Tai? Tai? Are you okay?"   
  
The voice coming down to him was gentle. He sensed a being hovering over him..  
  
He weakly opened his eyes to see Sora standing over him. Emily stood beside her.   
  
"He's awake!" she called over he shoulder, then went back to talking to him.   
  
"When we all came here," she said, sensing his oncoming question, "you took a nasty fall. If it weren't for Myotismon, I think you wouldn't have survived . . . He caught you before you hit the ground. You see, we all arrived near the edge of a cliff, and . . . and you fell off. Lucky for us, Myotismon sensed it and caught you in time. Everything's going to be alright."   
  
"But . . . where . . . am I . . ." started Tai. Sora quieted him.   
  
"You need to get your rest," she said. "But . . ."   
  
"But what?"  
  
"We're back in the Digiworld." 


	4. The Final Encounter

The Final Encounter  
  
Tai looked dazedly upwards at his rescuer: a six- or seven-foot tall Digimon, deep blue eyes, a pale appearance, fangs glittering against dark purple lips . . . The once evil Digimon stood towering over Tai, who was sitting up now.   
  
The Digidestined boy slowly shook his head, as though he was trying to get all the pain out of it. "Well, I guess I really have to say this . . . Thanks, Myotismon . . ." With that, he lay back down again, and went to sleep.   
***  
He was walking silently, slowly, through the darkness. He warily looked from side to side, half expecting something to jump out at him. The surrounding blackness nearly enveloped him . . .  
  
The brown-haired boy abruptly stopped, heaving-or thinking-that he heard a noise. He looked behind him, and cautiously called out, "Agumon?"   
  
Looking up, he saw an even darker figure standing before him: shadow within shadow, a pool of deep black amongst dark in themselves shadows.   
  
"Who . . . are you?" the boy stuttered. The dark form made no answer.   
  
The boy stepped closer, and again asked, "Who are you?"   
  
He sensed that the figure looked up. It was then that they spoke.   
  
"I am one you do not fully trust. I have been called evil-when I was merely disillusioned, as once was a cat-like servant. And I am a creature of the Night-a child of the Shadow."   
  
The answer was icy, almost, yet strangely mournful . . .   
  
A faint light appeared overhead, and the boy-Tai-looked up. Then, seeing no source for it, he turned to face the other figure again.   
  
He could now see one of their features-pale, glittering fangs . . .   
***  
Tai slipped silently from sleep into waking, and sat up. He surveyed his surroundings, noticing the fact that everyone else was asleep. There seemed to be someone missing; who, he couldn't quite place . . .   
  
It was then that he remembered his dream, and it was also then that he figured out who was not present.   
  
The one who had before called himself a "child of the Shadow," a "creature of the Night." The one who had once been their enemy-and then had remembered his past and found his Digidestined partner. And he was the one who had been called evil to his face, and who had once had a cat-like servant named Gatomon: Myotismon.  
  
Myotismon.   
  
It was Myotismon who was gone. But why? He had said that he would never leave Ymparshthu's side.   
  
Just then, as if in signal to him, Tai heard a noise off to one side. Knowing what-or who, actually-it was, he went back to sleep.   
***  
Myotismon was restless. Even though he did travel during the day, it was against instinct to sleep at night. Night was his time, his time . . .   
  
He had strayed off a ways from the camp, then returned. He would never leave Ymparshthu.   
  
While wandering, he had come across a smaller Digimon. They had recognized him, and turned to tell their superiors-but had been stopped cold by Myotismon. They had tried to run-but were no match for the ultimate-form vampire.   
  
It had been frightened. It had made threats-"You . . . you'll be sorry once I tell Devimon and Etemon!" it had cried out. Myotismon shook his head sadly.   
  
"I am sorry," he said silkily, "but I am afraid that you will soon be in a condition that makes living in itself hard, much less fighting. And I do believe that you must soon tell your superiors that."   
  
He now left the Digimon behind . . . They would most likely be found somewhere near dawn. And, if they were discovered-then those who found them would also find out that their comrade was half-dead with loss of blood.   
  
Myotismon momentarily stopped, and reflected on his life-of his times before and after Evil. He felt that his time would soon come to an end, that he would leave this earth. But that would mean leaving Ymparshthu behind . . . If at all possible, he would never leave her alone . . . He couldn't . . .   
  
When his time did come, when he had to leave this reality, he would be by Ymparshthu. He would make sure of that. He would go down fighting . . . Fighting for good . . .   
  
He heard a noise, jarring him from his deep thoughts. They were as deep as what was hidden behind his eyes . . .   
  
The sound had been slight, yet to Myotismon, a creature that stalked by darkness, they were as loud as if the other . . . thing . . . had been shouting.   
  
Myotismon whipped silently around, scanning the scene surrounding him for any other sign of life.   
  
He heard the sound again, this time as if it were closer.   
  
The vampire Digimon smiled evilly. He knew where the other life-form was, and what it was trying to do. It thought it could surprise him. But he was a hunter, a predator-he had sharp senses, sharper than that of the prey.   
  
Lunging suddenly in the direction of the noise, Myotismon heard a short yelp of surprise. The other creature had not expected what they were trying to stalk to actually catch them.   
  
It was a Bakemon. He had been spying on his former master-he remembered having to clean out the room with the gate-but had forgotten that the once-evil Digimon had incredibly sharp sense. He should have remembered how much of a predator Myotismon was. But, alas, he didn't, and was caught in the act of observing. As a matter of fact, he was going to attack-he had also forgotten how powerful Myotismon was.   
  
"I believe that you could have been quieter, Bakemon. I know the extent of your capabilities," Myotismon said to the trembling ghost-like creature before him.   
  
"Well . . . uh . . ." the Bakemon started to stutter. Then, he began making empty threats, just like the small Digimon Myotismon had come across only moments before. "Uh . . . You're going to be sorry once I tell my superiors! They'll come and destroy you, and all those Digidestined, too!"   
  
Myotismon knew the threat had no meaning, but he now had a reason to be very, very angry-the ghost had just threatened to kill Ymparshthu.   
  
"What did you say?" demanded Myotismon. He had heard perfectly, but loved to see the fear rising in the Bakemon's eyes.   
  
"Uh . . ."   
  
"I believe I just heard you threaten to kill Ymparshthu. Is that so?"   
  
"Well . . ."   
  
"Admit it, and suffer the consequences!"   
  
The Bakemon was clearly afraid. He was shaking and shivering, two things not expected to be seen of a Bakemon.   
  
"I guess I said that . . ."   
  
Suddenly, a Veggiemon burst in on the scene.   
  
"What the . . ." he began, seeing his companion being held by an angry ultimate-form vampire. Then: "Oh, heck."   
  
Myotismon whipped silently around, and let go of the Bakemon, who floated quickly off.   
  
"So. Another. You will never reach the Digidestined. You will have to get through me first!"   
  
Then . . .   
  
"Crimson Lightning!"   
***  
"Crimson Lightning!"  
  
The cry echoed through the Digidestined's camp. Everyone shot into an upright position instantly.   
  
"Looks like Myotismon found an enemy," Tai said. Ymparshthu nodded her head, and everyone-including the Digimon, of course-ran towards the source of the battle.   
***  
The Veggiemon didn't stand a chance. He was helpless against Myotismon, a stronger-than-average ultimate-form. So, he just tried to dodge attacks. His attempts weren't altogether successful.   
  
"What have I gotten myself into?" the old vegetable said as he tried to dodge blows. "I remember this guy. He was strong then, and still is now. Why did I have to bust in when I heard the Bakemon yelp?"   
  
Just then, one of Myotismon's snake-like bolts of scarlet lightning found its target, and wrapped itself around the Veggiemon. Its partner came, too, and the Veggiemon soon found himself flying through the air-Myotismon had thrown him back to where he had come from.   
  
When the Digidestined arrived on the scene, they saw nothing except for Myotismon; the Veggiemon had run after he hit ground.   
  
"Okay, what all just happened here?" Tai demanded as Agumon ran up to his side.   
  
"I was being followed," Myotismon calmly explained, "and surprised my stalker. His companion soon burst in, after the Bakemon threatened to have his superiors destroy you."   
  
Matt stepped forward. "But why didn't you get us?" he asked.   
  
"It was my battle."   
  
His battle . . . his battle . . . the words echoed inside Matt's head. His battle? Why had it been his battle, and not theirs? Matt probably never would find out. He merely had to accept the fact that Myotismon had chosen to fight alone.   
  
Sora looked down at Biyomon, remembering when they had first fought Myotismon-when he was evil, of course. Biyomon had Digivolved to Birdramon, then to Garudamon in order to battle him. Now, though, Myotismon was on their side as the ninth Digimon. It all seemed too much, sometimes . . .   
  
Mimi looked up from where she had been staring at the ground, and found herself staring into Myotismon's eyes. She had been the closest one to him, save Ymparshthu, who was standing by his side.   
  
Myotismon's dark blue eyes were deep. They seemed to have something hidden behind them . . . Like a sad memory, something that he wanted to forget, almost . . . And they were so sad, as though his life had been horrible . . .   
  
It probably had. When she really thought about it, Mimi figured that Myotismon's life was harsh. She herself could hardly watch someone get hurt, but permanently injuring some other creature-sometimes human-in order to stay alive? It had to be terrible.   
  
Considering what the vampire Digimon had been through, Mimi found herself thinking about him in a different way. Rather than picturing him as a non-trustworthy, once-and maybe still-evil Digimon, she saw him as a mournful being, thriving beneath the darkness, residing within the shadow . . .   
  
Ymparshthu, too, found herself looking into Myotismon's dark blue eyes. Could it be true that he would one day give himself for her? Did he care for her that much?   
  
"We need to get moving," Tai said, gazing at the rapidly lightening eastern horizon. "Maybe we can actually get somewhere today."   
***  
It seemed like they had been walking forever, and ever, and ever. Even the most athletic were tired as the Digidestined trudged wearily along. The blazing sun was high overhead when they reached a familiar place.   
  
"Hey, isn't this the place where we first fought Myotismon?" asked Matt, coming to a sudden halt. "I remember when Birdramon Digivolved to Garudamon to fight him. Of course, he wasn't on our side then."   
  
Myotismon wished not to recall that.   
  
"Yeah, it is," said Tai.   
  
"And I remember where we camped after that encounter, off over there," Joe said, pointing off in one direction. Almost everyone nodded their heads, except for Ymparshthu and Kari, who had not been there when it had happened.   
  
Just then, Myotismon whipped around. He had heard something, and he wasn't at all imagining it . . .   
  
Turning back around, he very calmly informed the Digidestined, "There is a Mammothmon about to attack us."  
***  
"What the . . ." started Tai, but was cut off by the loud blast of a trumpet, like an elephant's call.   
  
Suddenly, a Mammothmon came rampaging behind them.   
  
"Agumon Digivolved to . . . GREYMON!"   
  
"Gaubumon Digivolved to . . . GARURUMON!"   
  
"Biyomon Digivolved to . . . BIRDRAMON!"   
  
"Tentomon Digivolved to . . . KABUTERRIMON!"   
  
"Palmon Digivolved to . . . TOGEMON!"   
  
"Gomamon Digivolved to . . . IKKAKUMON!"   
  
"Salamon Digivolved to . . . GATOMON!"  
  
The only one not to Digivolve was little Patamon.   
  
All the Champion Digimon-and Myotismon-rushed at Mammothmon, and attacked all at once.   
  
"Nova Blast!"   
  
"Howling Blaster!"   
  
"Meteor Wing!"   
  
"Electro Shocker!"   
  
"Needle Spray!"   
  
"Harpoon Torpedo!"   
  
"Lightning Paw!"   
  
"Nightmare Claw!"   
  
Mammothmon was knocked over backwards by the force of the blast, but was not ready to give up yet.   
  
"Tusk Crusher!"   
  
The missile rammed straight into Greymon, Birdramon, Garurumon, Kabuterrimon, and Ikkakumon. It only missed Gatomon, Myotismon, and Togemon.   
  
"They all need me," Patamon whispered, looking out at the ensuing battle.   
  
Just then, Mammothmon launched another Tusk Crusher, and it came straight towards T.K.   
  
"T.K.!" shouted Patamon. T.K.'s Digivice started to beep.   
  
"Patamon Digivolved to . . . Angelmon!"   
  
There he was, a heavenly being floating in the air. T.K. looked up in awe. Patamon hardly ever Digivolved to Angelmon . . .   
  
Myotismon looked up, saw Angelmon, and joined him. He would battle by the celestial being's side.   
  
The Mammothmon trumpeted again after pulling himself up, and charged Angelmon and Myotismon, not knowing who it battled.   
  
"Hand of Fate!"   
  
"Crimson Lightning!"   
  
Angelmon attacked, and Myotismon followed, beating the Mammothmon to the ground.   
  
Then . . .   
  
Sora was watching Birdramon, who was laying on the ground. When Myotismon briefly stopped attacking Mammothmon, he came charging straight for the giant fire-bird. Birdramon, helpless, tried to move, but fell back over. She was too weak . . .   
  
"Tusk Crusher!"   
  
The attack came suddenly and swiftly, and neither Birdramon not any of the other Digimon could do anything about it.   
  
"BIRDRAMON!" called out Sora. Her Crest of Love started to glow bright red. "Birdramon . . ."   
  
Birdramon began to glow, and a wall of fire shot up around her, stopping Mammothmon's Tusk Crusher cold.   
  
"Birdramon Digivolved to . . ."   
  
The fire bird was immersed in glowing flame, and then, she stepped majestically through. Her golden-orange hair blew in the gentle wind, and she spread her huge wings wide. The feather in her hair fluttered as she stood tall.   
  
"Garudamon!"   
  
Garudamon soared high, past Angelmon and Myotismon, until she was flying above the field of battle below her.   
  
"Wing Blade!"  
  
  
The fiery attack dove down, down, until it made contact with Mammothmon. The evil Digimon vanished in a burst of blue-white flame.   
  
The Digidestined started cheering, and Garudamon de-digivolved to Yokomon. Myotismon and Angelmon came back to the ground, and Angelmon then de-digivolved back to Patamon.   
  
"Good job, Yokomon!" Sora congratulated her Digimon. "You really showed that Mammothmon, didn't you?"   
  
Tai stepped forwards. "Okay, now that that's over, why don't we take a break?"   
  
Everyone agreed, nodding their heads and repeatedly saying, "Yes! Yes! We would love that!" in is many ways as was possible.   
  
Sitting down on a stone, Joe said, "I'm glad we stopped for a while. My feet are killing me."   
  
Gomamon hopped up on a neighboring rock, a large grin of pure glee covering his face. His green eyes were closed in his ecstasy. "I'm just glad we beat Mammothmon," he said cheerfully, "although a good rest every now and then doesn't hurt."   
  
Tentomon continued to hover for a few minutes, then landed beside Izzy, who was working away at his computer. He seemed to have made a startling discovery, as he said, "Prodigious! I need to tell the others about this."   
  
Looking over his shoulder, he called out, "Hey, everybody! Come here for a second! I just discovered something helpful!"   
***  
Everyone gathered around him, pressing forward to look at the computer monitor. The information for Devimon in the Digimon analyzer was up on the screen.   
  
"According to this," Izzy said, "There is another prophecy involving Devimon. This one, though, also has Etemon. I think it describes our current situation."   
  
He looked back over his shoulder, making sure everyone was present. Then, he began to read.   
  
" 'Darkness will be Evil, Light its nemesis,   
" 'And the conflict will be great.   
" 'By power of the once Evil, by power of the Dark,   
" 'By power of the Light,   
" 'The misunderstood once was one shall battle the Evil Masters."   
  
"That didn't make much sense," Matt said, peering over Izzy's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, I know. It's about as clear as mud."   
  
"I think I know what this refers to," Izzy said. "Gennai once told me of the Last Great Battle, between the ninth Digidestined, Devimon, and Etemon. It is supposed to be huge-but, the only problem is, we don't know if it's real or not."   
  
Tai shook his head. "Then we can't believe it's going to happen. We can't believe that it won't happen. All we can do is wait and find out."  
***  
The night was cold. Pale stars glittered icily against the inky black curtain of the night sky. A cool breeze ran its swift path over the sleeping landscape as it danced wildly through the darkness. Trees gave small way, bending slightly in the gust of air. The silver half-moon shone brilliantly as it could over the world below.   
  
But not all was asleep. One stood awake, alone, contemplating his destiny on the summit of a lonely hill which jutted roughly from the surrounding land.   
  
He looked up, turning his dark blue eyes, very deep, heavenwards, gazing at the icy stars. So beautiful, yet so cold to him . . .   
  
Almost everything was cold to him. His life, his past-even small delights offered in this mortal world had no effect on his nature. It only made him withdraw further, further from the past, further from the future . . . .   
  
Lowering his head, so he was staring at the grass beneath his feet, he reflected upon life. Life was a journey, a perilous quest filled with hopes, with doubts, with dreams-but all were so far from him, a lonely and weary traveler trying to find his path's end.  
  
He turned silently and slowly around, still gazing at the earth. Why had he alone been singled out to exist in the way he did? Day was not his time. Night was. The shadows, the darkness was his home. It soothed him, comforted him as much as anything in this world could, but it was still not enough to soothe his tired soul.   
  
And there, beneath the moonlight in a far away place in the Digiworld, the just-Digivolved Myotismon felt a single silver tear run down his pale cheek.   
***  
So tired, so weary . . .   
  
The adopted human girl sighed as her blond hair fluttered in the wind beneath the night sky. She was looking at the stars, contemplating her fate. She was an outcast, one that never quite seemed to fit in. She had been all her life, and it was now no surprise to her when someone shouted an insult in her direction.  
  
Her green eyes held silent strength behind them, allowing her to survive in her churning world. Her mother had died when she was only three, from a forgotten-to-the-girl disease. Her father had just recently died in a car wreck, very horrible, involving three cars, a truck, and a city bus. It had been terrible . . .   
  
Her new family was nice, very nice, to her, but she-as usual-did not quite seem to fit in.   
  
Gazing upwards at the stars as she sat upon the grass, Emily "Ymparshthu" Ono-then seven-started to silently weep.   
***  
The brown-haired boy looked fearfully upward as he and his little sister-dressed in her bunny pajamas-huddled together. There were two strange monsters battling above them, and they were trying to break free from fear and run to the shelter.   
  
Above them, a strange dragon creature and what appeared to be a giant green canary-thing were fighting it out. The dragon creature appeared to be winning, when . . . It breathed a huge ball of flame at its opponent, scalding the giant green canary and making it disappear. Then it, the victor, vanished also, leaving Taichi "Tai" Kamiya and his little sister Kari huddled on the ground.   
***  
The little blond-headed young boy sat joyfully as he played with his blocks. He was building miniature towers, and enjoying himself greatly as he did so.   
  
Suddenly, he lost his balance and fell over, scattering his tiny creations all over the floor. He started to cry.   
  
And then, there was a comforting presence beside him. They picked him up, dried his tears. "Atta boy," they said, a smile playing across their love-filled face. "Atta boy." The also blond-haired older brother was comforting his younger sibling, Takeru "T.K." Takaishi.   
***  
Sora awoke with a start from her nap. She thought she heard something in the surrounding grass, but there was nothing except her friends, who were all still asleep. All their Digimon were, too. Even Myotismon was resting-he had wandered off into a nearby cave, where he had hidden himself in a dark crevice. It was natural for him, sleeping during the day. For Sora it was not.   
  
Pulling her knees up to her chest, she rested her chin on them. They were taking a midday break from their journey. After about ten minutes, everyone had fallen asleep, even Sora. It was just that she had woken up earlier.   
  
She looked down at Biyomon, her faithful companion who protected her from harm. Biyomon was napping peacefully, a look of contentment on her face.   
  
Sora sighed, and suddenly realized she was not the only one awake. Turning around, she saw Myotismon.   
  
He had obviously decided to face the outside world. Of course, Sora wondered why he had come back out again. If she would have been able to have asked Ymparshthu, the answer would have been something that plagued humans also: insomnia, not being able to get to sleep.   
  
Sora turned to face him completely, as she had been looking over her shoulder before.   
  
Myotismon stood silently by Ymparshthu's sleeping form, occasionally shooting a glance in Sora's direction. After a while, Myotismon stealthily headed back to the nearby cave.   
  
As she turned back around, Sora reflected upon everything that had happened to her after she discovered she was a Digidestined: They had battled first Devimon, then Etemon, and finally Myotismon. But Myotismon had turned out to be good, and the ninth Digimon, at that. It was all very complex . . .   
  
She remembered when they were searching for the eighth child, frantically seeking another Digidestined. Myotismon had been, too, and proved a worthy opponent. While they were still looking, a huge Digimon battle had destroyed two major apartments. The homeless had been moved to the convention center, when Myotismon-still evil, of course-took over. About that time, he had met Ymparshthu, making him think about his true identity, and also helping him to decide to free those in the convention center.   
  
She sighed. It all seemed so long ago . . .   
  
But the length of the years would never affect her memories. Especially not one of a certain night when they had just started searching for the ninth Digidestined.   
***  
When everyone had woken up, Tai announced that they were going to have a "night march."   
  
"We can cover more ground that way," he said. "Maybe we can find Devimon and Etemon, and beat them."   
  
That was why they were all marching along that night.   
  
The stars glittered beautifully overhead, seeming to make up for the fact that they couldn't sleep just then. As they all trudged along, the thought of stopping to star gaze popped into their heads at some point or another.   
  
Bringing up the rear was Ymparshthu. She was thinking about her past, and her green eyes-strength hidden behind them-seemed far off, as though she was looking at a distant place.   
  
Myotismon traveled in the shadows, silently moving through the utter darkness alongside the Digidestined.   
  
Tai abruptly stopped, almost causing everyone behind him to topple over.   
  
"I think I hear something," said he, raising a white gloved hand to silence the others' protests. As he strained his ears, he thought he heard it again: a rustling noise, like the folding and then spreading of great ragged wings . . .   
  
"I think we've found who we're looking for."   
  
"Then you thought correctly!"   
  
The evil voice rang out over the still night landscape. It sounded familiar . . .   
  
Just then, Devimon stepped out of the shadows before them.   
  
"It is so nice, seeing you again," he said evilly, "even more so with the knowledge that I will destroy you!"   
  
At the sound of his voice, his partner stepped out beside him.   
  
"Oh, I remember you, uh-huh-huh, uh-huh-huh," Etemon said upon seeing Tai. "All except that new girl. Who is she?"   
  
"That," Tai courageously said, "that is my sister, Kari, the eighth Digidestined. And I do believe that you know the other."   
  
The singing monkey narrowed his eyes behind his shades. Yes, he did recognize Ymparshthu. She had been his opponent long after he had returned from inter-dimensional limbo, where he had gone after MetalGreymon blew him away with Giga Blaster.   
  
"Enough reminiscing." Devimon gave a cruel smile. "I believe there is something that we started years ago that we must now finish."   
  
So saying, Devimon and Etemon attacked.   
***  
The first thing to happen was Etemon shot a relatively small ball of energy at the Digidestined, making them fall over each other. That pushed Tai-and the others-over the edge.   
  
"Agumon Digivolved to . . . GREYMON!"   
  
"Gaubumon Digivolved to . . . GARURUMON!"   
  
"Biyomon Digivolved to . . . BIRDRAMON!"   
  
"Tentomon Digivolved to . . . KABUTERRIMON!"   
  
"Palmon Digivolved to . . . TOGEMON!"   
  
"Gomamon Digivolved to . . . IKKAKUMON!"   
  
"Patamon Digivolved to . . . Angelmon!"   
  
The Digimon charged at their old opponents, once again their adversaries. They would not go down without a fight.  
  
But Devimon and Etemon were stronger than before. The Champion-forms were no match for just one of them, let alone both fighting together.   
  
"We're not going to let them win!" shouted Tai, looking up at Greymon. He ran alongside his Digimon partner, and his crest started to glow orange.   
  
"Greymon Digivolved to . . ."   
  
Greymon began glowing. Then, fiery red hair sprouted from the back of his head, purple wings grew from his back, and metal covered his head, left hand, and some of his tail.   
  
"MetalGreymon!"   
  
MetalGreymon roared, then charged at Devimon and Etemon, but was knocked over by a large energy blast.   
  
"Tai needs my help," whispered Matt. Then: "Garurumon!" His crest started to glow blue beneath his shirt.   
  
"Garurumon Digivolved to . . ."  
  
Garurumon rose onto his hind legs. Torn blue jeans made their way over his hind legs, and a belt slapped across his chest and stayed there.   
  
"WereGarurumon!"  
  
The werewolf Digimon howled, and ran up to MetalGreymon in aid. Bit even their combined forces weren't enough to stop the demon lord and his partner.   
  
"I know they need me." Joe's determined words would ring throughout his thoughts long after the actual battle was over. His Crest of Reliability was glowing silently against his chest.   
"Ikkakumon Digivolved to . . ."   
A great wall of water wrapped around Ikkakumon, shielding him from view. Then, he emerged; a bolt of lightning cracked down from the sky, forming a large hammer held tightly in his enormous clawed hand.   
"Zudomon!"  
Zudomon came to the aid of WereGarurumon and MetalGreymon, swinging his mighty "Vulcan's Hammer" in an attempt to destroy-or at least wound-either Devimon or Etemon. But it was not enough.   
"I really want to save them, I really do . . ." A single tear softly rolled down Mimi's cheek. Her crest was glowing as she showed her sincerity.   
"Togemon Digivolved to . . ."   
A bright light shot from Togemon's eyes and mouth. The dead weed on her head opened to reveal a blossom, and the blossom opened to reveal a dainty flower fairy, petite but strong. She flew joyously round in three circles, before coming to a graceful halt.   
"Lillymon!" The high and comforting voice echoed over the battle raging below her.   
Lillymon flew to join the fight, adding her own "Flower Cannon!" to the fray. And, as was before, the Digidestined Digimon were still being defeated.   
"Birdramon!" Sora cried as she saw Birdramon knocked from the sky. "Birdramon . . ." In her love, Sora's crest was gently glowing.   
"Birdramon Digivolved to . . ."   
A wall of fire embraced the phoenix-like creature, blocking it from sight. Then . .   
She stepped majestically through, the winged guardian of the sky. The feather in her golden-orange hair fluttered in the night breeze, and her hair in itself shone beneath the moonlight. She spread her giant wings wide, and took a defensive stance over Sora.   
"Garudamon!"   
Garudamon half flew, half ran to join the ever growing larger battle between the Digidestined, Devimon, and Etemon. Soon, Wing Blade was finding its target in Etemon.   
Looking up at the huge battle taking place, Izzy was reminded of the wars of old. "They need my help . . . Without us all working as a team, we will never win . . ."   
"Kabuterrimon Digivolved to . . ."   
The horn on his head grew more elaborate, more powerful, and his wings   
  
  
hardened to form a red shell over his back. A blue, crystal-colored dome, not very large, formed at the junction of his wings and his body. He balled his clawed insect hands into fists, then released them and swung his arms in a show of power.   
"MegaKabuterrimon!"   
The giant beetle buzzed over to the fight that had now been ensuing for some time. Maybe, with his help, they could defeat the enemy.   
"Horn Blaster!"   
He blew Devimon away for a moment with the force of his blow, but it still did nothing to hinder the evil Digimon from battling.   
Remembering what Devimon and Etemon had done, Myotismon silently joined the fray. Silently, that is, until he used Nightmare Claw on Etemon, sending the Elvis impersonating monkey reeling over backwards, his energy momentarily drained.   
"They need me," Gatomon said, looking up at Kari. Her Digidestined partner nodded her sweet head,   
"Gatomon Digivolved to . . ."   
Her cat-like form grew taller, more slender, and the tail disappeared completely. The orange-striped gloves on her paws came off, her paws transformed into slender human hands, and white gloves went on them. Wings sprouted from her back, and finally, a helmet covered her blue eyes with the rest of the upper half of her face.   
"Angelwomon!"   
The heavenly being, alongside Angelmon, floated above the battle field and soon joined fight. It was her Celestial Arrow that first injured Devimon.   
Now, every single Digidestined Digimon was battling. They were winning, losing, winning again, then driven back . . . It was not decided whether they were being victorious or being defeated, as they kept being pushed over each side.  
Every single Crest was glowing, giving more power to the Digimon. But, even though no one knew it, it was human-not Digimon-that was to win the fight.   
After dodging a blow, Etemon saw Ymparshthu standing alone, watching the fray, her crest giving power to Myotismon. She made an ideal target. If he could take her out, he felt that he and Devimon could easily win. She was the one who knew the most about the Digiworld. She was the most powerful one, once her human form was pulled away to reveal her true self.   
Dodging another blow, he got Devimon's attention, and they together sent a large energy blast in the direction of Ymparshthu.  
  
  
The full moon blazed suddenly overhead, its pale white light growing to a blinding silver-colored one. The stars began to flicker brilliantly, like blue-white flame. And Myotismon, standing on the battle field, saw the energy blast headed towards Ymparshthu.   
He ran swiftly and silently towards her. He had to save her, couldn't let her die, not his Ymparshthu . . . His Ymparshthu . . . His Ymparshthu . . .   
Ymparshthu saw the burst of energy meant to destroy her, but knew that she could not outrun it. She would take her fate with courage . . .   
  
  
And suddenly, there he was: Myotismon, mournful being of the Night, of the shadow, of the Darkness. And, as the large black-red ball of energy sped towards the ninth Digidestined, he thew himself in the way.   
And it hit.   
  
  
It hit.   
Myotismon fell to the ground, seriously injured. He would not survive, even if they won.   
Ymparshthu fell to her knees beside him. She had been the one meant to die, but he had taken it for her, for her, for her. He did not deserve this fate. She was the one who did.   
She lowered her head, and stared for the last time into her Digimon's dark blue eyes. She remembered something she had once heard . . . "Eyes the color of his time reflect a great sadness upon the night sky . . ."   
The ninth Digidestined could feel tears sting her eyes as she knelt in the moonlight. The battle seemed to have stopped . . . Time itself seemed to have stopped . . .   
"Triinsahmur," she whispered, seeing for the last time the great sorrow hidden in the soul of her Digimon. "Triinsahmur . . ."   
And he, being of the Night, once evil, saw the strength hidden behind Ymparshthu's appearance. And was still . . .   
Tears were stinging Ymparshthu's green eyes as she rose to her feet. The strength hidden behind them was tempered with sadness, with hatred of Devimon and Etemon giving them a fiery glow.   
Her voice was quite as she spoke, yet it could be heard by everyone. "You have gone too far. Now you must be destroyed."   
  
  
Tai was dumbfounded. Myotismon had taken the blow meant for Ymparshthu, knowing that he would die. Then Ymparshthu had told Devimon and Etemon that they were to be destroyed, yet she could do nothing. Nothing.  
But Tai Kamiya was wrong. Unlike their two opponents, he did not know what Ymparshthu kept hidden. He had always sensed she had a secret, but he did not know it was to be like anything that he saw that night.   
  
  
The moon was blazing, its silver light pouring over the landscape, making it almost seem like day. The stars held their own, glowing and glittering like bonfires of diamonds.   
Glowing, too, was every single crest, each brighter than ever before. Courage, Friendship, Love, Knowledge, Sincerity, Reliability, Hope, and Light, with Faithfulness leading them in the bonfire glow.   
One by one, the ultimate-forms de-digivolved. As this was happening, all the Digivices went off, each bright as the stars. And, once again, Ymparshthu's led them all,   
  
  
burning like an icy fire.   
And then, they each saw something so amazing that they would never forget it as long as they lived.   
  
  
Standing beneath the moon, she began to glow. Brighter and brighter she grew as all the Digivices and Crests gave her enough power to take her true form.   
Shutting her eyes, she could feel them change colors . . . Into a dark blue, the same hue as the midnight sky.   
As she opened them once again, she grew even taller. Two feathery wings sprouted from her back, like those of an eagle, except for the fact that they were each as tall as her. A glowing sword of Light appeared at her side, in its beauty glimmering as bright as she.   
And the other eight Digidestined watched on as Ymparshthu took her true form.   
She was tall and proud as she floated above the battle field, surrounded by a comforting transparent-but-bright globe of light. She raised a slender and pale finger as if in accusation of Devimon and Etemon.   
"Devimon," the white-robed figure said in a silver voice, "Etemon, you have gone too far. I stood by, fighting when I could, but now you have done too much. You destroyed innocents, all those who would not fight for your dark purpose. You broke the unity of the Light and the Darkness, causing great pain and suffering to many. And you killed the soul who gave himself in order to save me."   
Her deep blue eyes glittered with tears as she looked down at Myotismon's still form.   
Pulling her head up again, she reached for the sword attached to her gold-and-silver belt. As she unsheathed it, she said, "It matters not if I am destroyed. The sole purpose of my existence is to defeat you and stop the devastation that you have brought."   
All heads turned in amazement. Ymparshthu . . . They never knew that she was truly this heavenly being fighting for good. Not for the Light alone, not for the Darkness alone, but for both.   
For both.   
And so, as they stood beneath the moonlight, bathed in the glow of Ymparshthu's angel-like true form, each of the other eight Digidestined silently vowed to remember this.   
The blade of her sword of Light gleamed beautifully-never menacingly-in the light of moon and star. And, looking down upon Devimon and Etemon of the Evil, she raised it above her head, and brought it down with a cry of, "So that you may never again bring harm upon the Universe!"   
  
  
Devimon and Etemon stood transfixed by the being of Light before them. They had never guessed for her to truly be this way . . .   
They came to their senses only as the Angel brought down her blazing sword, wings spread to their fullest.   
  
  
  
  
Tai could sense the vary pain of Etemon and Devimon, the Evil Masters, as the blazing sword of the Angel burned through their dark souls. He-as well as the other seven Digidestined-watched on in amazement as their very existences were destroyed before their eyes. They could see them disintegrating, dissolving, being banished to death for all Eternity.   
And then, they were gone, as though they had never been.   
The Angel floated gently over to where Myotismon lay, and softly landed beside him. He could never be brought back . . .   
She softly fell to her knees, and began to cry. Silver tears ran down her pale cheek as she knelt beside the still form of what was once her Digimon. They never spilt onto the ground, but rather soaked into it long before they ever hit.   
The Angel looked up, and saw the Digidestined watching her. They seemed awestruck by her appearance alone, even more so by her inner self.   
"Yes, this is my true form," she said, her voice falling over the landscape like gentle rain. "The one you know as Ymparshthu is I. But my true name is Sliirkashriim."   
Rising off the ground once again, she said, "Since I am now in my true form, my human form remains in myself. But I can never return to it. The human known as Emily Ono is never to return to the human world, but rather to stay in me, since I am now as I truly am."   
She put her hand gently on the golden hilt of her sword, and began to float off. In the moonlight, with her wings spread wide, she was majestic. But she did not leave Myotismon behind . . .   
Before she left, before they had come up to her, one looking hard could have seen a glittering light rising past her into the night sky. A srunahae-a soul. And, one still looking hard would have noticed that Myotismon was no longer there-the ground on which he had been was featureless, as if he had never been there at all.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Final Encounter  
Epilogue  
When the eight Digidestined arrived back in the human world, many question were asked, even though they had only been gone for a total of two human days. Everyone wanted to know what had happened, why had they left, why was Ymparshthu not with them, or Myotismon, for that matter . . .   
But they just walked silently on, following Tai. He was flanked by Matt and Joe, who in turn were flanked by Mimi and Sora, who were in their turn flanked by Izzy and Kari. All of them were different, wiser; but their appearance had changed, too.   
Tai had a stronger look about his face, and his hair, now the same hue of orange as his crest, fluttered a little in the cool wind.   
Matt's face was more than indifferent; it was strong. All their faces were. But his eyes were now the same cool blue as his crest, and he walked with a humble air.   
Sora was tall and proud as she walked along, her hair the same dark red as her Crest of Love. There was a caring air about her, and all she passed felt like she cared for them.   
Izzy seemed very wise, and he was. His face had more than a hint of great wisdom in it as he stared through eyes-no longer black-of the same tinge of his crest.   
Mimi was solemn and sincere as she walked quietly along. Her favorite color was still pink, of course, but it didn't matter as much. Her eyes-now the same color as her crest-held compassion.   
Joe was not the least affected. He stepped along with smoothness and grace, no longer an awkward human. His hair was of the same hue as his Crest of Reliability, which he had proved fitting for him so many time before.   
T.K. was filled with hope, the human trait his crest was made for. It was hope that perhaps he would see Sliirkashriim again, and that he would never forget her or what he learned. He learned that inner selves were more powerful than appearances, and that good would always prevail. So, as he walked along, he looked out at the people on either side from behind eyes the same color as his crest.   
Kari was silent as she walked along, Gatomon at her side. The power of which her crest was named after-Light-had prevailed, destroying Evil and making the Light and the Darkness once again. Her eyes-the same pink as her crest-would never again feel the same after seeing such a heavenly being as the Angel, Sliirkashriim.   
As for the Digimon? They felt the same as their Digidestined partners, wise and more powerful on the inside than before.   
The people on either side could only watch on in amazement as the eight Digidestined walked by. They couldn't help wondering where the ninth one, along with her Digimon, was.   
And the Digidestined-for once instant, they all thought they saw one star glitter brighter than the others. 


End file.
